All Square
by sweeet-as-honey
Summary: Sequel to Triangle. Medical student Sophie is Ethan's girlfriend, Lily's new best friend and the girl Cal can't quite forget. Sophie comes to stay with Lily, but drama follows Sophie wherever she goes.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the sequel to Triangle - thank you to everyone who asked for it! I hope you enjoy it. This is set a few weeks after Triangle. Sophie has come to stay with Lily for a few days - which also involves spending time with Ethan and breaking Cal's heart a little bit more._

* * *

"Are you sure I look all right?" said Ethan as he tried to check his reflection in the windows of the ED.

Lily tried not to look exasperated, but it was at least the fifth time Ethan had asked the question and they'd only been outside for a couple of minutes. "You look fine. You looked fine before you did you hair again and you look fine whether you wear your blazer or not. What's wrong with you, Ethan? Are you turning into your brother?"

Ethan turned back to her with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Lily. I just want to look my best for my girlfriend, but I know I'm being stupid."

A moment later, Ethan started fiddling self-consciously with the collar of his shirt.

Lily sighed. "Yes, you are being very stupid. You know Sophie won't care if you're wearing a shirt and trousers or your scrubs or nothing at all."

Ethan took her words at face value: a sure sign that he was very nervous. "I'm sure Sophie wouldn't like it if I was wearing nothing at all. Not in public." He gave Lily a quick glance. "Not that I'm implying…"

"I don't think I want to know what you're not implying," said Lily firmly.

"No. Sorry. Of course not," said Ethan. He sent another hopeful look in the direction of the road, but there was no sign of Sophie's taxi. "I just don't want Sophie to be ashamed of me. She always looks so beautiful. I bet everyone who sees us together wonders what she sees in me."

"They probably think you have a very large paypacket," said Lily.

Ethan regarded her uncertainly. He wasn't used to Lily making jokes.

Neither was Lily, but it had definitely been a joke about the paypacket. Sophie loved Ethan because he was Ethan, and there was only one person in the hospital who didn't realise it: Ethan himself.

"Hey, little brother!" Cal appeared beside him, cup of coffee in hand. He took in Ethan's outfit and looked confused. "What are you all dressed up for?"

Ethan cast Lily an agonised look. Cal had managed to get over Sophie in that he'd once or twice got hammered and woken up in someone else's bed, but he hadn't yet reached the stage of not looking sad when he saw his ex-girlfriend with his brother.

"Cal, I don't think you should be out here," said Lily.

Cal looked startled. "Why not?"

Lily searched her mind for a plausible lie, but she hadn't had much experience of lying and could only think of: "Mrs Beauchamp is looking for you."

"Then she's looking in the wrong place," said Cal. "She's not in the ED. It's her day off: remember?"

"I meant Dr Hanna," Lily said quickly. "I think she wants you for something."

"I just saw her," said Cal. "She didn't say anything to me about wanting me. I always remember when women say things like that. She asked if I was having a break; I said yes; she said that was a good idea (there might have been a very small incident in Resus earlier) and that was it."

"Yes, that must have been what she wanted to talk to you about," said Lily, and looked at Ethan for help. He needn't think she was going to do all this on her own. Ethan knew his brother best: he knew what kind of lie Cal would be most likely to fall for and Lily knew he was a good liar because he'd covered for Cal on several occasions when he'd gone out to see his girlfriends in the middle of a shift.

"I think you've sat in something, Caleb," was Ethan's unimaginative contribution. "There's a big stain on your trousers."

Cal failed to look horrified. "Really? What colour is it?"

"Um… black," said Ethan.

"Black," said Cal. "A black stain might show up on your trousers, Nibbles, but it wouldn't show up on mine. Besides, I think I'd have noticed if you'd walked round the back of me and checked out my bum."

It was Ethan's turn to give Lily a desperate look.

"Is that Dr Hanna calling you?" said Lily.

Cal folded his arms. "Okay. Out with it. Why are you two trying to get rid of me?"

Ethan was probably trying to look confused, but he actually looked like he was having problems with his bowels. "Why on earth would we try to get rid of you, Caleb?"

"That's what I'm trying to work out," said Cal grimly. "I'm warning you, little brother. If you're seeing Lily behind Sophie's back…."

Lily gave him a scornful look. "I hardly think that's likely. Ethan has done nothing but talk of Sophie the whole time we've been here."

"I can't blame him for that, I suppose," said Cal with a sad smile.

Ethan gave Cal a concerned look, but before he could think up another (no doubt unconvincing) lie, a taxi came around the corner.

"Cal, I think someone's collapsed in the waiting room!" said Lily.

"Cal, did you know you've got lipstick on your face?" said Ethan, almost at the same time.

Cal glared at them both. "What's wrong with you? You can't even see the waiting room from here and I can't have lipstick on my face because I haven't kissed a girl for over a week! Just tell me why you want to get rid of me and maybe I'll go." He smiled at them both. "Of course, I can't make any promises…"

The taxi had stopped outside the ED. As Lily watched, the door opened and Sophie got out.

"Oh," said Cal. "So that's why."

Ethan nodded guiltily.

"You can take that look off your face for a start," said Cal. "Arranging to see your own girlfriend is hardly a crime, is it? And why would you want to hide it from me? I don't tease you about Sophie _that_ much."

This was true – but only because Cal still found it painful to talk about Sophie.

Sophie was walking across the car park, several bags in each hand. She looked towards the entrance to the ED and stopped. "Ethan!" she shouted, and dropped her bags. The next minute, she was running over to Ethan, who took a few steps to meet her and enfolded her in a big hug.

"I've missed you, darling," said Ethan, his voice low but still perfectly audible to Lily.

And, no doubt, to Cal.

"Ethan, it's only three days since you last saw me!" said Sophie, but then her voice softened. "I did miss you too, though. In case you were wondering."

Cal turned abruptly away from them. "I'm going back inside." His voice was clipped, but Lily knew he wasn't angry.

"I'll come with you," she said. She'd hoped Sophie would at least say hello to her, considering Lily was letting her stay in her flat, but Sophie and Ethan were kissing now, their arms wound tightly around each other as though they never wanted to let go.

"No, you stay here," said Cal. "Sophie won't like it if you go off without speaking to her. She'll think she's upset you. I'll be fine."

Lily could see he wasn't fine. His lips were trembling. But there was nothing she could do. No way of making Cal feel better.

"I love you," said Ethan, in a rare break between kisses.

"Someone get me a bowl," muttered Cal, and went inside.


	2. Chapter 2

**ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I'm really happy you've decided to read the sequel. It's difficult to write a story where everyone is happy, but maybe Cal will get over it! Thank you for saying you like how I wrote Cal.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , I'm glad I didn't make you wait any longer! And just so you know, your idea will be happening - just not quite yet. Watch out for Lily shopping with Sophie! Thank you for your review - I hope you enjoy the story.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. Luckily for Cal, this story has a comedy element so he can't get too depressed! Though that's not to say the story will be lacking in drama. I hope you don't mind how I've used Lofty.

 **Tato Potato** , I'm really happy you enjoyed the first chapter! I hope you'll like this one too. It is really hard for Cal at the moment, but you never know, he might get over it! Thank you for your review.

 **TimeLadyOdair** , I never stopped writing - I'm writing seven stories at the moment, which is probably a bit much, but CasualtyFanForever81 asked me about the sequel so I thought I'd better start posting. I'm sure Cal will appreciate the hugs! Thank you for your review.

* * *

Cal looked at himself in the mirror and breathed deeply. He was _not_ going to cry. He was absolutely, definitely not going to cry just because he'd just seen his brother kissing the girl he loved.

She wasn't the girl he loved anyway. He was over her by now. He'd got over her ages ago. That was why he was seeing other women.

There had only been two other women, but that wasn't because he was having trouble getting over Sophie. It was because he was having trouble meeting new people. There came a time in every playboy's life when he'd slept with almost every woman in the immediate vicinity and when that happened, things naturally slowed down a bit.

But it was the tourist season soon. There would be girls all over the place. Then Cal would be back in business.

The door opened and Lofty came in. His scrubs were splashed with something Cal didn't really want to think about identifying. "Not again, Lofty."

"It wasn't me this time," said Lofty. "I'm not going to tell you who it was because she was really embarrassed and I would never want to upset my girlfriend – it's not like she's usually clumsy – but she tripped and I got spattered."

Cal shook his head as Lofty went over to the sinks and turned the taps on. "I don't think tap water's going to do it, mate. You'd be better off getting some new scrubs."

"Maybe you're right," said Lofty, after completely soaking the front of his top with no obvious improvement. "But I'll tell Robyn I managed to wash them. I don't want her to… oh God. Tell me I didn't just say her name."

"Sorry, mate. But you'd already called her 'my girlfriend' and as far as I know, you've only got one," said Cal.

"Of course I've only got one!"

Cal smiled magnanimously. "I'll pretend I didn't hear it if you like."

Lofty gave him a grateful look that quickly became a worried one. "I gave you the perfect excuse to tease me for the rest of the week and you want to forget about it? Cal, are you okay?"

"I just saw Sophie," said Cal, and then could have kicked himself. It seemed Lofty wasn't the only person who couldn't keep girls' names to himself.

"With Ethan?" said Lofty.

"Kissing Ethan," said Cal.

Lofty winced and patted Cal's arm sympathetically.

"Most of the time, I'm okay," said Cal. "I forget about it. But then I remember and I..."

He stopped. What was wrong with him? He was talking about his feelings and he wasn't even drunk.

Lofty looked as though he understood. Cal thought he probably didn't, but it was nice to know Lofty didn't think he was being stupid.

"Right: I'd better get back to work," said Cal. "If I talk about my emotions anymore, I'm going to turn into a girl and that's going to make it even more difficult for me to get a girlfriend."

"I should get back to work too," said Lofty, following him to the door. "But I'm here if you want to talk, Cal. I mean that."

"Thanks," said Cal as they walked towards the waiting room. "I appreciate it. But it's the patients who really matter and I don't think they're going to appreciate it if you go back to work without changing your top!"

* * *

Lily tapped her foot. This kissing business had gone on for far too long and seemed completely unnecessary. And all the while, Sophie's numerous bags were lying abandoned in the middle of the car park where they might get run over. Lily sighed and went to pick them up, a few at a time. She'd carried most of the bags to safety by the time Ethan and Sophie resurfaced.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'll take those," said Ethan. "I thought we'd put them in my car. I think there would be complaints if we left them all in the staff room.

"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten them," said Lily pointedly as Ethan grabbed a couple of bags.

Sophie gasped. "Lily, you're not seriously telling me I just left them in the middle of the car park. I've just done a test on Health and Safety an Emergency Department. One of the first things I learned was not to leave things lying about."

"Oh dear," said Lily. "I would be very worried about my test results if I were you, Sophie."

"Of course Sophie doesn't need to worry about her test results!" said Ethan at once. He hugged Sophie as best he could with a bag in each hand. "She's going to pass with flying colours."

"Of course she will. I was joking," said Lily quickly.

"Sorry, Lily," said Ethan with a smile. "I forgot you have a sense of humour now."

Lily gasped slightly, but then she looked at him and realised his smile was far from unfriendly.

"Sorry, Lily. That was a joke," said Ethan quickly.

"Yes, I know," said Lily. "I know my sense of humour isn't very developed yet, but I'm trying to learn."

"And you're doing really well," said Sophie. "I made six different jokes when I was talking on the phone to Lily last night, Ethan, and she laughed at four of them."

"Only six, Sophie? You're slipping," said Ethan. Then he turned to Lily and said sincerely: "Well done, Lily."

"Thank you," said Lily. She was surprised to find she actually was grateful. She'd always thought laughing at work was frivolous, but it actually made things easier. She'd also heard that laughter could improve circulation, stimulate your heart and lungs and cause muscles to relax, but she'd never believed it. Until now.

"Ethan, do you know what the funniest bone in Lily's body is?" asked Sophie.

"The humerus?" said Ethan.

Sophie giggled. "That's right!"

"That is a very old joke, Sophie," said Ethan. "I make no bones about telling you that."

"Then I'll have to bone up on the subject," said Sophie. She gave Ethan a severe look. "And don't you even think about stealing my joke. I said it first and 'boning up' jokes really aren't funny coming from a man."

* * *

They loaded up Sophie's luggage into the boot of Ethan's car. There was rather a lot of it and Ethan felt slightly breathless after he'd loaded everything in, though this was partly because he hadn't been happy with his arrangement the first time so he'd taken everything out and started again.

"Sophie, I thought you were staying for a week," said Lily.

Sophie nodded. "Don't worry, Lily. I know I haven't brought enough stuff to last me a week, but it seemed a bit silly to bring more when I knew we were going to go shopping."

Ethan laughed and put his arms around her. "Sophie thinks a shopping trip is the answer to life, the universe and everything."

"Of course I don't," said Sophie dismissively. "The answer to life, the universe and everything is _forty-two_ shopping trips. Obviously."

"Obviously," agreed Ethan with a smile, though he couldn't help feeling a little bit worried. He wasn't sure his car was big enough for the results of forty-two shopping trips.

Lily looked blank. "Why forty-two?"

"I can see I shall have to lend you another book," said Ethan. "I'll try to remember to bring it to work with me tomorrow."

"I'll… look forward to it," said Lily dubiously, and Ethan buried his face in Sophie's hair to hide a smile. His attempts to introduce Lily to quality British fiction had been met with middling enthusiasm at best.

But he wasn't discouraged. Sophie had promised to help him and he was sure they could think of something together.

Everything he and Sophie did together turned out well.

Except for the soufflé they'd made on that cookery course, but that really was a one-off.


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm sorry I keep posting three things a day. I hope it isn't getting excessive. When I finish Losing You, I'll be back down to one a day, with occasional extras._

* * *

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you like Ethan and Sophie together - it's really lovely to receive positive comments about an OC!

 **TheAtomicCheesepuff** , I'm really pleased you're enjoying the sequel. I just hope I'll have enough ideas to keep the story going. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , I'm so happy you like Lily's friendship with Sophie - I so nearly left them hating each other forever! Now I just have to try to give Cal something to smile about. Thank you for your review!

 **Tanith Panic** , there are lots of jokes in this chapter - I hope it doesn't go over the top! I'm glad you're happy with Lofty - I hope he'll make a few more appearances as the story goes on. Thank you for your review.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you very much - that's very kind of you to say that. It's wonderful you felt so involved in something I've written. Thank you for your review and I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

 **TimeLadyOdair** , I think pinning Sophie to a wall and kissing would make Cal very happy - until he stopped and realised what he'd done to his brother! But Cal does have a history of doing stupid things, so it could happen! I'm glad you like the jokes. Thank you for your lovely review.

* * *

"So, where are we going?" asked Sophie.

They'd been sitting in Ethan's car for five or ten minutes, but as was often the case, Ethan had forgotten to drive away.

"It's a surprise," said Ethan.

Sophie moved her mouth closer to his. "Can I have a little clue?"

Ethan tried to close the gap between them, but Sophie moved away.

"No clue, no kiss, Ethan."

"No kiss, no date, Sophie."

"No date, no complaining when I get back with Cal, Ethan."

Ethan laughed. He knew she wasn't going to get back with Cal. "Okay. You win. We're going to a shop."

"A shop? Oh, Ethan!" Sophie's face lit up and she gave him the promised kiss. "Does it sell shoes?"

"I've never been there, but I understand it's a well-heeled establishment," said Ethan.

"I can see I've trainered you well," said Sophie.

"You won't catch me giving you the slipper," said Ethan.

"That really would be sticking the boot in," said Sophie. "How about giving me another clue?"

"Oh, no," said Ethan. "I'm as stubborn as a mule."

Sophie smiled. "You're a slingback to the old days, Ethan."

Ethan touched her cheek. "And you make my heart go flip-flop." He kissed her and started up the car. "Now I think we'd better _shoe_ before someone starts wondering why the car is still here."

"Oh, don't worry," said Sophie, as Ethan backed out of the parking space. "They'll just think it's a bootee call."

Ethan stalled the car.

* * *

Cal quite often felt teary in Resus. He thought everyone did, though it certainly wasn't something he was prepared to admit to. Losing a patient was always upsetting, however well you were able to hide it.

Saving a patient could be just as emotional. Especially when it was against the odds. Especially when the patient woke up to a proposal from her boyfriend.

Even more especially when the patient was called Sophie and her new fiancé was called Cal.

Cal stood there with a fake smile and thought darkly to himself about how they would never be happy and she'd probably run off with his geeky little brother. He didn't believe it and didn't really want to believe it, but he'd tell himself pretty much anything to stop himself from crying.

"Dr Knight. Here." Lily, who'd left her own patient in order to give the newly-engaged couple the customary round of applause, was offering him a tissue.

Cal glared at her. "I'm not crying!" he hissed and everyone turned to look at him.

"Perhaps not, but you do have blood on your arm," said Lily.

"Oh. Right." Cal cleaned his arm. He would need to wash it later anyway, but it didn't really add to his attractiveness. "Sorry, Lily. I didn't realise."

Lily gave him a much more understanding look than she might have done before she met Sophie. "It's all right. I should have been clearer."

"No. I should have noticed there was blood on my arm," said Cal. "It's not your fault, Lily. Don't worry."

Lily smiled at him and went back to her patient.

She really was getting a lot better at smiling.

* * *

Sophie looked through the window of the café. "This isn't a shop, Ethan."

"It's a… coffee shop?" said Ethan.

Sophie gave him a reproachful look. "You said there were shoes here."

"I said it was a well-heeled establishment," Ethan said apologetically.

"How was I supposed to know you were being literal?" said Sophie.

Ethan took her hands in his. "I'm sorry for getting your hopes up. We could go to a shoe shop if you prefer."

Sophie let go of his hands and put her arms around him. "Of course I don't prefer. I want to talk to you, Ethan. I want to look at you." She smiled teasingly. "How am I supposed to do that if there are shoes everywhere?"

"That's a good point," said Ethan, and smiled back.

"This is perfect," said Sophie. "As if I'd want to look at boring old shoes when I could be looking at you." She kissed him and they went inside, holding hands.

Ethan actually wasn't sure if the café was well-heeled or not: he'd just liked the look of it from the outside, and the inside did not disappoint. The tables and chairs were made of dark mahogany wood and shone so brightly, you could see the reflections of the chandeliers in them.

"If I stood on that table, you'd be able to see right up my dress," said Sophie.

Ethan did wish she'd made slightly more effort to keep her voice down, but he couldn't help smiling. "I was admiring the exquisite décor and you were thinking of something filthy to stay. Sometimes I think we're not suited at all."

Sophie stepped closer to him. "Should we break up then?"

At one time, her flippant comments had worried him, but not now. It was difficult to feel worried when her eyes were fixed on his and she was gazing at him as though he were a great deal more special than he believed he was. Ethan put his arms around her waist. "Oh, I think we should at least wait until we've had something to drink."

"Definitely," said Sophie, as her mouth moved towards his. "I'm very thirsty."

"Excuse me!" Someone tapped Ethan on the shoulder. "Can we get past?"

"Oh, yes! Of course. I'm so sorry," said Ethan guiltily, and moved himself and Sophie out of the way so a group of people could get past him. "I really am sorry."

Sophie took Ethan's hand firmly. "I think that's our cue to queue, Ethan."

Ethan smiled and tried to look at the menu on the wall behind the counter. Unfortunately, the people in front of him were taller than he was and he couldn't see very much of it. "What would you like?"

"I'd like a Horniman!" said Sophie.

To Ethan's embarrassment, a few people turned to look at her.

"What?" said Sophie. "It's only a make of tea." She smiled wickedly at Ethan.

Ethan tried to smile back, but Sophie immediately looked contrite.

"Am I embarrassing you, Ethan?" She stroked his hand. "I'm sorry. I'll behave now."

"That would be a first," said Ethan.

"I thought that was why we were here," said Sophie. "To assuage our _first_."

Ethan laughed and squeezed her hand. "I think we'll be served in a second…"

"I'll get our drinks if you need a _turd_ ," said Sophie.

"No, thank you," said Ethan. "I might have known you'd say something like that. Let's just go _fourth_ and order together. What would you like?"

"I'm not telling you. I'm taking the fifth so you'll have to guess."

"Fine," said Ethan. "Don't blame me if I put too much sugar in and it makes you _sixth_."

"I'm sure your choice will put me in seventh heaven."

"Would you like something to eat as well?" said Ethan. "I _eighth_ earlier, but I quite fancy one of those scones."

Sophie smiled. "I love scones! I could eat them all _ninth_ long. Though I'd probably get fat if I did."

"I can assure you, it's not my in- _tenth_ -tion to make you fat," said Ethan. "Though I'd love you just as much if you were." He looked at her challengingly. "So what are you going to say for eleventh?"

"Nothing," said Sophie. "But just so you know, I love you to the nth degree."

Ethan put his arm around her. "I love you too, Sophie. I can always count on you."


	4. Chapter 4

**EDSidekick** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you like the story so far and that you like Ethan and Sophie as a couple. Ethan does seem quite innocent so I thought that comment might shock him a bit!

 **ETWentHome** , I don't know how I come up with them. I suppose I just really like puns! Some of them require a bit of thought and I do google things like 'types of shoes' to make sure I don't miss anything. Thank you for your review!

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review - I'm really pleased you're enjoying the updates. I think Sophie will probably cause a lot of trouble - most of it by accident, but perhaps not all!

 **Tanith Panic** , I can't believe I didn't think of making a 'sole mate' joke! But that would have spoiled your fun and I wouldn't want to do that. Thank you for your review - and here is the 'more' you requested!

 **Tato Potato** , I'm glad you're enjoying the puns! I liked yours too. Cal will be sad for a little while longer, but I have plans to cheer him up. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Lily was enjoying a coffee on her own when Cal sat down beside her. She suppressed a sigh and did her best to smile at him. From the way Cal smiled warmly back, Lily thought there was a good chance her smile had been successful.

It was a pity. She would much rather he went away and left her alone. Lily was happy Sophie had come to stay with her, but it did mean her moments alone were even more precious.

"So, what's it like living with Sophie?" asked Cal.

Lily looked at him seriously. "Are you sure it's a good idea for us to be having this conversation?"

"I'm just being friendly," said Cal. "Trying to find a common ground. You know."

"Really?" said Lily dubiously.

"Really!" said Cal. "I'm not making a move if that's what you're thinking."

"Unfortunately it's not what I'm thinking," said Lily. Things would be a whole lot easier if Cal was making a move on her. She was much better at rejecting men than she was in helping them to get over broken hearts.

Cal's eyebrows shot up. " _Unfortunately_? What do you mean 'unfortunately'? Lily, don't tell me you've finally realised how hot I am just when I'm madly in love with another woman."

"If you were making a move on me, I could tell you go to away," said Lily. "As it is…"

Cal looked hurt. "I can go away if that's what you want." He stood up.

"No. No, you don't have to go," said Lily quickly. "I'm just…" She decided to be honest. "I'm worried about you and I don't think I'm a good person to help you because I don't really understand relationships."

"Neither do I," said Cal. "I've only really had two proper girlfriends. You know, that I've loved. One ran off with my brother's money and the other one ran off with my brother."

"I see," said Lily. She hadn't heard about Ethan's money, but she told herself she wasn't curious. "Do you think perhaps you're doing something wrong?"

Cal sighed. "Yes. I fell in love. Why couldn't I just have slept with them and then forgotten about them like I did with you? That's by far the best way."

"Technically, you didn't quite sleep with me," said Lily. "I don't think you quite forgot me either, considering you asked me for a second date."

"I suppose you could say Ethan ruined that for me too," said Cal. "Rejected by you… punched by Ethan… third worst day of my life."

Lily found she was slightly offended. It wasn't that she wanted to break anyone's heart. She'd seen how devastated Cal was after he'd selflessly stood aside so Ethan and Sophie could be together. But still, she didn't want to be anyone's third-favourite. "The third. How flattering."

"The third in a couple of hundred," Cal said quickly. "A couple of thousand, even."

"That makes me feel much better!" said Lily.

Cal smiled. "Thought it might."

Lily reflected ruefully that she still didn't seem to have worked out how to do sarcasm.

"So, are you going to answer my question or not?" said Cal. "What's Sophie like to live with?"

"A nightmare," said Lily; "but a complete pleasure."

Cal smiled sadly. "That sounds like Sophie."

Lily gave a sudden smile. "I'll tell Sophie you said she was a nightmare."

Cal eyed her uncertainly. "I hope that's one of those joke-things you've started telling."

"Of course it is," said Lily. "I never talk about you to Sophie. I am always very careful to keep my conversation interesting." She stood up, her coffee finished. "And now, Dr Knight, I must go back to work."

* * *

"Peanuts?" said Ethan, indicating the bowl beside the bar.

Sophie made a face. "No, thank you. Do you have any idea what a germ-fest those communal peanuts are?"

"That's true," said Ethan, and had second thoughts about helping himself to a handful. They did look very tempting, but Sophie was right. He doubted any of the customers had washed their hands before eating here, though that was partly because eating establishments generally made such a fuss when customers visited the loo before ordering their food.

"Do you dare me to make a complaint about the peanuts?" said Sophie, her eyes sparkling.

"No, I most certainly do not," said Ethan. "In fact, I dare you to go and sit down quietly and not complain about anything at all."

Sophie looked interested. "Not complain about anything? Now, that is an interesting dare. And very difficult too. What do I have to do if I fail in my dare?"

"Kiss me," said Ethan.

Sophie kissed him.

"No, not now," said Ethan. "I mean you can kiss me as a forfeit if you fail in your dare."

"Oh. Sorry," said Sophie.

"No, it's all right. I quite like it when you kiss me," said Ethan.

Sophie gave him a mock glare. "Quite?"

"I mean I like it very much."

"That's better. Shall we sit here?" Sophie indicated a table for two.

"Perfect." They both sat down and Ethan smiled. "So what I have I got to do if you succeed in your dare?"

"Oh… take all your clothes off in Resus and wiggle your bottom in Mrs Beauchamp's face," said Sophie.

"What?!" Ethan stared at her in horror. "I can't do that!"

Sophie looked very concerned. "Ethan, you don't really think I've got a chance of succeeding in the dare?"

"If the incentive is my embarrassing myself in front of Mrs Beauchamp, I don't doubt you'll find a way," said Ethan darkly.

"Oh, Ethan," said Sophie. She slipped her hand into his and spoke lovingly. "You're so unadventurous sometimes."

"Is that a complaint?" Ethan asked hopefully.

Sophie shook her head. "Of course not. You're great as you are. Besides, the dare doesn't start till we've agreed on the forfeits. Which we haven't."

"You couldn't choose something that's just slightly less likely to result in my being struck off?" said Ethan. "It's just I do rather like my job and I actually have this little daydream of us working together after you graduate."

Sophie squeezed his hand tightly. "I've had that daydream too. It would be perfect. As long as it wouldn't upset Cal."

Ethan smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry. Cal's fine now." Ethan knew he wasn't, but he didn't want Sophie to worry. He carried on quickly before Sophie could dispute his words. "Have you thought of another forfeit yet?"

"Okay. I've got one," said Sophie. "If I succeed in the dare, you have to… kiss me. Do you like that one better?"

"Much better," said Ethan in relief.

They started eating.

"Ethan?" said Sophie, a worried look on her face.

Ethan was immediately worried too. "Are you all right, darling?"

"Yes, of course," said Sophie. "I just wanted to check something. You didn't think I was serious about wanting you to strip off for Mrs Beauchamp in Resus?"

"Oh! No. Of course not," said Ethan.

"I'm so glad," said Sophie. "You should know I'd never ask you to do something like that. Not seriously."

Ethan reached across the table and stroked her hand. "Of course I know that."

"Good," said Sophie. "Have you _seen_ Mrs Beauchamp? She's _gorgeous_! There's no way I'm letting her clap eyes on you naked. She'd steal you away from me in a second!"

Ethan put down his scone and reached for her other hand. "No, she wouldn't," he said quietly. "No-one could ever do that."


	5. Chapter 5

**Guest** , thank you for review. I'm happy you like Ethan and Sophie as a couple. I would absolutely love to see anyone dare do that to Mrs Beauchamp, but somehow I think it's not going to be Ethan!

 **Tato Potato** , it's lovely that you like the relationship between Ethan and Sophie - Ethan is a sweetie so he deserves to be happy! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , it's an image that will stay with me too! I'm sure Ethan would look absolutely lovely with no clothes on and Connie's face would be a picture. I'm glad you liked Cal and Lily's conversation too. Thank you for your review!

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. it's nice to be able to write them as a couple instead of admiring each other from afar, as they did in Triangle. I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

* * *

"So are you going to tell me?" whined Cal. He was going to have to go back to work in a minute and he felt like he'd die if he didn't know what it was like to live with Sophie. For one thing, when Caleb Knight asked a question, he wanted to know the answer and he didn't rest until he'd got it.

He told himself that was the main reason why he was so desperate to know, but there was another reason as well. Just because he would never experience living with Sophie (unless Ethan had any ideas about inviting her to move into their flat, which Cal wasn't at all sure he could deal with), that didn't mean he shouldn't know what he was missing.

"I don't believe that knowing would make you feel happy," said Lily after a moment or two.

"Everything about Sophie makes me feel happy," said Cal. Then he realised that was perhaps not the best thing he could have said to convince Lily that he was over Sophie. "Well, not quite everything. I don't like…" He thought hard. He frowned. This was really difficult. Sophie was pretty much perfect as far as he could see. Except maybe…. oh yes. "I don't like her taste in men."

Lily sighed. "Okay. I really like it when Sophie comes to stay with me, but I would not say she would be easy to live with on a permanent basis."

"Name one imperfection!" said Cal. "You never know: it might put me off her."

"She's very untidy," said Lily, counting on her fingers. "She spends hours in the bathroom. The last time we watched a film together, she fidgeted through the film and cried at the adverts."

"She didn't cry when I watched a film with her," said Cal. He decided not to mention the fact he had.

"Did it have adverts?" said Lily.

"No: we watched it on DVD."

"Perhaps that would explain it," said Lily.

Cal thought sadly that he'd never get the chance to test the theory. "But there must be nice things about living with her as well."

Lily smiled. "Of course there are. She's kind. She's amusing. She's loyal. She's very patient with me when I'm trying to learn about humour." An almost wondering look came into Lily's eyes. "She likes me and she understands me. There aren't many people like that."

"I like you," said Cal.

"But you don't understand me," said Lily in a matter-of-fact way.

"No." Cal's voice was gloomy. "You're a woman. I don't understand women at all."

* * *

"Shall we go?" said Ethan.

Sophie nodded and stood up. "Thank you for bringing me here, Ethan. It was lovely."

"Thank you for being someone I can bring here," said Ethan.

Sophie walked around the table and kissed him.

"Excuse m- not you two again! Do you ever stop kissing?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said Ethan, going red.

The man laughed. "It's fine. It's nice to see two young people happy and in love without actually feeling the need to grope each other in public."

"Oh no!" said Ethan. "We would never do that."

"Absolutely not!" said Sophie. "Not in _public_."

They all laughed (though Ethan blushed as well) and Ethan and Sophie started to leave the café, but they stopped when they heard a scream.

A man was lying still on the floor as horrified diners gathered around.

Ethan ran towards him. "I'm a doctor," he said. "Could you all stand back a bit, please? Thank you." He knelt beside the man. "Hello? Can you hear me?" There was no response. Ethan shook his arm gently, but the man made no sound or movement. His eyes looked red and his face, which was pale, appeared to be swelling. Ethan carefully opened his airway without moving his spine. He noticed the man's tongue was swollen too. "Can someone call an ambulance, please? Not you, Sophie: I might need you."

"I'll do it," said the man who'd been teasing them.

"Thank you." Ethan looked at the crowd of interested spectators. "Is anyone with him?"

A woman replied: "No, he was sitting on his own."

Ethan nodded. "Thanks. Sophie, could you check the gentleman's bag for his name and any details of medical conditions, please? And could you also find out what happened?"

"Of course, Ethan."

"Thanks, sweetheart." Ethan leaned close to the man's mouth. He was breathing, but not easily. Already, Ethan's mind was running through possible diagnoses.

"Ethan, he has an adrenaline injector," said Sophie. "Is anaphylaxis possible? He might have been helping himself to the peanuts."

"Or at least had his food prepared by someone who'd touched them," said Ethan. He held out his hand for the injector. "It's consistent with his symptoms so I'll give him a shot." He pulled off the cap and pressed the tip firmly into the man's thigh. He heard the click and held it for ten seconds. After that, he removed the injector and massaged the site of the injection. He could hear someone on the phone, speaking to the emergency services. "Sophie, could you take the phone for a minute and tell them there's a doctor on site, we suspect anaphylaxis and I've administered adrenaline? Thanks."

Ethan looked at the man's pale face again: he knew he could also be suffering from shock, which could have caused the loss of consciousness. He wondered why the man didn't ask for medical assistance earlier, but so many people didn't.

He looked over at Sophie, who'd finished speaking to the emergency services. "Sophie, I'm going to treat for shock, if you'd like to watch. I'm going to undo the top two buttons on the gentleman's shirt-"

"-to reduce constriction," Sophie finished for him. "And now you should put your jacket over him to prevent him from becoming cold. How are his vital signs, Dr Hardy?"

"The airway is open, though I'm concerned that there might be further swelling to his tongue which could cause a blockage," said Ethan. "It would be easier if we could put him onto his back, but it looks like he fell awkwardly so there might be a back injury."

"Yes: he fell off his chair," put in Sophie. "No-one could confirm how he fell, but his position suggests there probably was some twisting of the spine..

Ethan gave a quick smile. "Good work, sweetheart. His breathing is difficult, which I'm sure you know is a common sign of anaphylaxis. His pulse…" Ethan lifted the man's hand and pressed two fingers to his radial pulse. "He's tachycardic, as you'd expect with shock. He's registering as unconscious on the AVPU scale, though I didn't shake him too hard because of his back. Did you find out the gentleman's name?"

"Not yet." He heard Sophie rifling through the poor man's bag a bit more. She gave a shocked gasp. "Ethan..."

Ethan looked up. She was looking worriedly at a card. He held out his hand. "What is it?" he asked gently.

Sophie leaned close. "It could be suicide," she whispered.

Ethan shook his head. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

"I'm not." Sophie sounded a bit hurt. "Look at the card and see where it's from."

The man had an appointment at the mental health clinic tomorrow.

"I know it probably isn't what I just said, but I thought you should know," said Sophie. "And the hospital too."

"You're absolutely right. I'm sorry for being dismissive," said Ethan, more gently.

Sophie patted his arm. "Don't worry. It's not like I _never_ jump to conclusions. I'll keep searching for further medical evidence. There probably won't be any, but it would be just awful if I stopped now and missed something really important."

Ethan reached across to squeeze her hand. "Good idea. You're doing really well, sweetheart. I'm proud of you. Now I'm going to check to see if the adrenaline injector has eased the symptoms…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Tanith Panic** , I love the idea of Ethan blushing too! I don't remember him ever blushing on TV, but I feel like it's something he would do a lot. Thank you for your review!

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm really happy you think they work well together as a team - I suppose they just slipped into mentor/student roles without realising it!

 **ETWentHome** , Cal really needs hugs at the moment. I'm glad he's getting hugs from you, even if they are only virtual hugs! I'm really happy you like the way Ethan and Sophie are working together. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Cal stood in the middle of the staff room, breathing hard. Another surge of anger and frustration hit him and he punched the wall. It didn't help: it just made his hand hurt on top of everything else.

He stayed by the wall, nursing his bruised hand and blinking against the tears in his eyes. Sometimes this job was so unfair.

He heard the door open and quickly turned so he had his back to it. He heard footsteps and felt a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Cal," said Lily.

Concern for the younger doctor helped him to put aside some of his feelings. He turned to face her. "I hope you don't think it was _your_ fault."

"No, I know it wasn't my fault," said Lily. "It was no-one's fault." She paused. "But thank you for your concern."

Cal released his breath in a loud sigh. "As if today wasn't bad enough already."

Lily put her hand on Cal's arm. She moved it awkwardly up and down. It felt more like sandpapering something than offering comfort, but her intention was clear and Cal appreciated it.

"I'm fine," he said, releasing his breath in a sigh. "It was just getting to me a bit. But I'm fine now. Are you all right?"

"Of course," said Lily. "I mean yes. Thank you. It is a horrible thing to see, but that is what our job is like sometimes. Sad."

She looked away quickly, but Cal didn't miss the sadness in her eyes. Lily was usually so good at hiding her emotions, but she was young and it was always difficult to lose a patient. Cal suspected she was feeling the loss far more deeply than she was letting on. "I could give you a hug if you wanted?"

Lily's face hardened and she removed her hand from his arm. "I don't think so."

"No, I didn't mean it like that!" said Cal, horrified by her assumption. Lily was a beautiful girl, but she was his friend and he didn't want to jeopardise that. "I just thought if you were a little bit upset, it might help to have a hug."

Lily looked him up and down. "There was no ulterior motive?"

"None whatsoever," Cal assured her, but she didn't look convinced and he decided there was no harm in stretching the truth a little bit if it meant she accepted the comfort he was sure she needed. "Okay. Maybe I wanted a hug for myself, but not because you're a girl or anything like that. I would take a hug from Dylan right now."

"Dylan is actually very kind," said Lily quite sharply, but then her expression softened. She put one arm around Cal in a rather jerky movement. The other followed. Then she took a step closer to him.

Cal put his arms around her very carefully and gently. He'd hugged a lot of women, but it wasn't often he did it without any intention of seducing them.

"There _there_!" said Lily, getting the intonation completely wrong. "Everything is all right now, Cal. You… you did a good job and… and I'm sure you'll realise that if you think about it carefully."

Cal knew the last thing he needed was to think about it carefully, but it seemed a bit cruel to say so.

Lily patted his back with just slightly too much enthusiasm. "Now, you've only got another two hours to go, then you can go home and go to bed and… and do whatever it is men like to do when they're alone in bed."

Cal tried and failed to stifle his laughter.

"Cal?" said Lily. She sounded concerned. "Are you crying?"

The desire to laugh immediately vanished. He couldn't tell her the truth, of course, in case it hurt Lily's feelings. She was obviously putting a lot of effort into cheering him up and he didn't want to discourage her newfound efforts at sympathy. But to tell her he was crying wouldn't be good for his pride at all.

He tried to think of another reason why he might produce a crying/laughing kind of sound but couldn't. "Okay, I'm crying. Just a _tiny_ bit."

Lily let go of him with one arm, felt in her pocket then held her arm behind her, in front of his face. She was holding a tissue. "No tears on my clothes, please."

"Um… thanks," said Cal, and took it. As Lily was probably listening for the rustling sound of him wiping his eyes, he drew the tissue across his face… just as the door opened.

"Dr Knight, I need to… whatever's the matter?" said Connie.

Okay. Maybe the day could get worse after all.

"Allergies," muttered Cal, his face bright red, but Lily spoke over him.

"He is upset that we lost the patient, Mrs Beauchamp."

Connie came over and put her hand on Cal's shoulder. "Cal, there was nothing more you could have done. If there was, I would have told you to do it or done it myself. You did everything you could." She squeezed his shoulder gently. "I'm afraid I can't let you go early, but you can have an extended break if you like."

"Thanks," whispered Cal. He felt even worse now. Why was it that the one occasion Connie decided to be kind to him was the one occasion when he was faking it? Keeping his voice subdued, he tried to change the subject. "You said you needed me for something?"

"It can wait," said Connie. "It's not important. Ten minutes, Lily, then I need you back at work. Cal, you can have twenty, and you won't be needed in Resus again today." She squeezed his shoulder again. "It is difficult sometimes. But I know you'll be fine."

She left the room.

"I know you'll be fine too?" offered Lily.

"Thanks."

"I'll make you a cup of tea," said Lily. "I understand that is the correct procedure."

Cal watched her go, then he sat down and put his head in his hands.

Why did he always have to make everything so difficult for himself?

* * *

Ethan watched and listened proudly as Sophie told Dixie and Iain what had happened. She was accurate and reasonably fluent and when Dixie did ask her a question she couldn't answer, she referred them to Ethan rather than trying to guess, as a lot of students would do. Ethan could tell Dixie and Iain were impressed, though of course they didn't say anything.

"Sorry about that," said Ethan, when the ambulance had finally driven away with the man inside it. "That really wasn't what I had in mind. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," said Sophie. "And it's not your fault, Ethan, so don't apologise!" She hugged him.

"I was hoping it would be romantic," sighed Ethan.

Sophie kissed him. "It was. It was a lovely café, a lovely cup of tea, lovely scones and a lovely date. And if I can't cope with a fellow-customer collapsing, it's best I know now so I can change my career plans!"

Ethan didn't let go of her. He knew Sophie was fine _now_ , when she was riding high on excitement and adrenaline. But that would soon fade and Sophie would more than likely be upset. "How about we book into a hotel for a bit?"

"Ethan Hardy!" Sophie was laughing at him. "You bad man!"

"I didn't mean it like that!" Ethan was blushing now. "It's just we've had a very difficult half-hour or so and you should probably rest for a bit. I know you won't want to come back to my flat because of Cal and we can't get into Lily's flat, so a hotel was all I could think of."

"I'm fine!" said Sophie. Then she looked worried. "Unless you need a rest. I know you wouldn't usually need one, but you've been dealing with that sort of thing all day."

Ethan shook his head. "Mostly fainting spells, cut fingers and hangovers – none of them mine, I hasten to add. I'm fine, darling."

Sophie slipped her hand into his and started walking. "Not that I'm _completely_ against the idea of going to a hotel with you for a couple of hours, but what would we have done now if the incident hadn't happened?"

"I thought we'd just have a look around the city," said Ethan. "I thought you might be missing the shoe shops." He smiled. "I'm sure they're missing you."

Sophie looked at him suspiciously. "Ethan, are you being sweet or are you trying to say I buy too many shoes?"

"Oh, no: I'm definitely being sweet," said Ethan.

Sophie didn't look entirely convinced, but she let it go. "How about we look at a few shoe shops and see how I feel?"

"I suppose there's no harm in that," said Ethan. "But if you need a break, please tell me straight away."

"Of course I will," said Sophie. "But I really am fine, Ethan. I loved helping you. It was like being back in the ED again, only without having to worry about getting shouted at by Mrs Beauchamp." She sighed. "It's just a shame it's not likely to happen ever again. I wish it would. Dealing with real medical emergencies is so much more fun than just reading about them."

"Darling, I'd be careful what I wished for if I were you," said Ethan.


	7. Chapter 7

**EDSidekick** , don't worry about it - there are times when fanfiction keeps me logged in for days and times when it logs me out when I'm trying to post something! It can't be trusted! Thank you for your review - I like to think Cal deserves his extra break after his kindness to Lily. But I'm not sure he'll want to try that particular method again!

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , your idea will happen on the fourth day of Lily's stay with Sophie. It can't really happen sooner as I have a couple of dates planned for Ethan and Sophie and I don't think they'd be in the mood after your idea happens. Thank you for your review - I'm glad you're enjoying it so far.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I think Cal probably needs some sympathy at the moment - everything is going wrong for him, even when he's trying to be nice!

 **TimeLadyOdair** , I missed you too! I'm so glad you're back. Thank you for your review - I'm really happy you enjoyed the three chapters. The hug between Lily and Cal was very interesting to write so I'm glad you liked it! I'm happy you still like Sophie and Ethan together too. I have no immediate plans to tear them apart, but you never know! Cal can be very stupid at times...

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the update. Poor Cal seems to spend all his time in this story so far pretending to cry or pretending not to! But I'm sure I'll give him something else to do eventually. Yes, you could be right about something happening...

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you very much - though why you'd be jealous of Cal, I can't think... (no, I understood really and I'm very grateful). It did feel a bit odd writing a scene about losing a patient and making it funny, but I'm hoping I got away with it!

* * *

They spent a lovely hour looking at all the shops and considering every café, restaurant, pub and club as a possible venue for a future date. When they reached the river, Ethan suggested sitting down so they sat on a bench and cuddled.

"Do you think you'll hear anything?" asked Sophie. "About David, I mean?"

Even if Ethan hadn't remembered his name, he'd have known who she meant from the look on her face. "I don't know, sweetheart. It's possible I'll hear something, but we were in the role of first responders, not doctors. There's no reason why anyone would tell us anything."

"How about if you asked?" said Sophie.

Ethan hesitated. "I suppose someone might tell me something if I asked. But I have no way of knowing who treated him. I might have to ask a lot of people and even then, we have so many patients coming into the ED. We don't remember every patient."

"There probably aren't that many suicide risks with anaphylaxis," said Sophie.

"No, perhaps not," conceded Ethan. He stroked his girlfriend's shoulder and spoke reluctantly. "I suppose I could ask if you really wanted me to."

Sophie looked at him worriedly. "Are you expecting… a sad ending?"

"I'm not expecting anything," said Ethan. He spoke as gently as he could. "It's just… he's not our patient anymore, Sophie. It's out of our hands and it's better not to keep thinking and wondering. Even if you know the patient's going to be fine - and I think there's a good chance David will be, considering you found the adrenaline injector so quickly - there's not usually anything to gain from wondering about it."

"I just… I want to know the end of the story," said Sophie.

Ethan kissed her forehead. "Yes, I know, sweetheart. And that's natural. It's so easy to start to care about a patient. Especially when you're still starting out, you do want to know what happens next. But we haven't got the time – or the emotional energy – to worry about everyone once they've left our care." He looked at her seriously. "It would tear us apart."

"I suppose so," said Sophie in a small voice.

Ethan pulled her closer to him. "What happens in the ED usually isn't the end of the story anyway. We can treat an injury and illness, but we can't usually cure it. The patient might go home and follow the treatment we've advised; they might go to see their GP; they might be transferred to another hospital department. So even if I do ask at the ED, you probably won't get the end of the story, Sophie. Just the next chapter."

"And I suppose if I get the next chapter, I'll want the one after that too," said Sophie. "And the next chapter will make me care more, not less."

"That's one of the problems," said Ethan sympathetically. "I know it's hard. I had a really difficult time when I was starting out." He smiled. "It takes time to cultivate an air of unflappability, you know."

Sophie gave a shaky smile. "Oh, so it's just an air, is it? It's not genuine?"

Ethan kissed her on the lips this time. "Maybe not completely. But it's much easier than it used to be and it'll get easier for you too."

She put her arms tightly around him. "I love you, Ethan."

The words still filled Ethan with happiness and wonder every time. "I love you too, darling." He buried his face in her hair. "I love you very much."

"And you don't have to ask anyone anything," said Sophie. "It's probably best if I don't know."

Ethan held her tightly. "I think that's probably best too."

* * *

Lily walked over to Cal. He looked tired and stressed but it kind of suited him. He was a lot less trouble when he was tired.

She wondered if she should give him another hug. She and Sophie hugged quite a lot now and Cal was her friend too… She lifted her arms awkwardly and put them around him. As before, it felt unnatural and she was sure she must be putting her hands in the wrong place, but he didn't seem to mind.

Cal returned her hug. "How are you?"

"I am fine," said Lily. "Thank you, Cal. How are you?"

"Much better now," said Cal. "I'm sorry about before."

Lily moved her hands in unison over Cal's back. "You don't have to apologise. It was a natural reaction. An unprofessional reaction, of course, but it happens to everyone."

"Everyone except you," said Cal. He sounded a bit jealous, but when he next spoke, there was admiration in his voice. "You're always so calm and detached. I don't know how you do it."

Lily considered her reply carefully. The truth was that she stayed calm and detached because that was her job, but she was worried she might hurt Cal's feelings if she implied he wasn't doing his job properly. "Some people would say I am too detached. What I gain in detachment, perhaps I lose in my bedside manner."

"There was nothing wrong with your bedside manner earlier," said Cal. He managed to dredge up a cheeky smile. "Of course, I've never actually seen you properly in bed…"

"And you won't!" said Lily, telling herself her heart did not just flutter. There was no reason why it would. She had no interest in Cal and it wasn't as though he had any interest in her - for once in his life, he was only interested in one woman.

Cal smiled sadly. "I suppose I lost my chance there."

Lily was annoyed to discover she actually wanted to reassure him. "I would say yes… but I'm not always right."

"But I suppose there's no reason why we shouldn't do stuff as friends," said Cal. "It could be fun!"

Lily took a step backwards. "That depends entirely on what kind of 'stuff' you have in mind, Dr Knight."

Cal laughed. "No, don't get too excited! My heart's still a bit sprained and you'd be wasted as a rebound." He looked at her for a moment. "Still… what are you doing tonight?"

"Spending time with my houseguest," said Lily.

Cal's face fell. "Oh, yes. Of course you are."

"We're going to study together," said Lily happily. "Sophie is nowhere near my level yet, of course, but I am happy to help."

"Have fun," said Cal. "And try not to humiliate her too much."

Lily felt a stab of hurt. That was annoying too. She didn't usually care what Cal said to her. "I only humiliate those who deserve it."

Cal grimaced. "I've noticed."

"What are you going to do this evening?" asked Lily.

"The pub, I suppose," said Cal. "Then I'll go home and hide from Ethan."

"Why would you hide from Ethan?" said Lily, confused.

Cal gave a soft sigh. "I understand now why I spent most of my life making Ethan miserable. Seeing him this happy really hurts."

* * *

Ethan stopped his car outside Lily's flat and looked for Lily's bike. "Oh dear. I don't think she's home yet."

"Don't worry," said Sophie. She smiled and leaned closer to him. "I'm sure we can find something to do till she gets here."

Ethan was still getting over the fact she wanted to do things with him, but he wasn't about to refuse an invitation like that. He placed a hand on her cheek and smiled for a moment. Sophie smiled back and leaned even closer. She covered Ethan's lips with her own. Soon, Ethan's arms were tightly around her as their mouths meshed together.

"I love you," Ethan murmured between kisses. "And I'm so proud of you. You looked so beautiful when you were rummaging through David's bag."

"And you're quite handsome when you're giving people injections," said Sophie. "Possibly because an adrenaline injector is a phallic symbol."

"I always thought cymbals were round," said Ethan.

"You're the one who's round," said Sophie. She laughed when Ethan examined his waistline in mock-confusion. "Round the bend!"

"I wouldn't have said I was particularly bent," said Ethan. "Not when I look at you."

"Are we getting back to phalluses now?" said Sophie.

"Oh, no. That's a complete fallacy," said Ethan.

"And quite a pathetic one too."

They were interrupted by a knock on the window.

Ethan jumped with shock and turned to face what he was expecting to be an irate neighbour – they were only kissing, but it probably wasn't very nice to watch – but instead, he saw Lily. "Hi, Lily. I'm sorry. We were just… discussing the weather."

Lily looked severe. "If it seems hot in the car, that is nothing to do with the weather."

"Oh, um, right," said Ethan, blushing. "No. Perhaps it isn't."

"Come on, Lily. Don't rain on our parade!" said Sophie.

There was a look of deep concentration on Lily's face. "Every cloud has a... a silver lining, Sophie. And Ethan is your... your soft, fluffy cloud!"

"Oh dear," said Ethan. "Lily's found out the truth about me... and it's snow joke."

Lily frowned. "I fail to see the relevance of snow. Perhaps you will come inside and explain it to me, Ethan. My mind is... ah." She smiled. "Foggy!"

"Hail Lily!" said Sophie.

Ethan smiled affectionately at Lily's confused face. "We'll explain, Lily. Now, Sophie, we should go inside before Lily kicks up a storm."


	8. Chapter 8

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you're still enjoying the puns! I think there's only one pun in this chapter (and it's actually one I've used before), but I hope you still enjoy it.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for the review. Lily's frostiness and ambitiousness help to make her a great character, but I think it's the rare hints of vulnerability that make her popular so I'm trying to show that.

 **ETWentHome** , aw I'm glad I made you smile! It's going to be difficult to make Cal happy again, but I'm going to do my best for him! Thank you for your review.

 **TimeLadyOdair** , I am sorry for breaking you, but it really is amazing to know my stories are having an emotional effect and I love that you like Ethan and Sophie's relationship so much. There will be scenes between Cal and Sophie too, which might well include stupidity from Cal! Thank you for your review.

* * *

Lily waited until after dinner to give Sophie her news. For one thing, they were far too busy talking about her eventful afternoon with Ethan. Lily could see Sophie was affected by the situation and struggling not to care about the patient, but there was no doubt that she'd found it exhilarating at the time.

Lily wished she could give Sophie advice on how not to care, but it was difficult when her problem was usually not caring enough. "I'm sure it will get easier," she said at last. "I suppose I feel my interaction with a patient is at an end when I put their file away. Then it leaves my mind."

Sophie tried to smile. "So that was it! I knew I'd forgotten something. Note to self for next time: fill my handbag with files belonging to all known patients with a caffeine addiction."

Lily frowned deeply. "You would never be able to carry that amount of files even if you took all your handbags."

"It was a joke, Lily."

"So was mine," said Lily. "If I was serious, I would have reminded you that it is not permitted to remove files from the hospital."

Sophie laughed. "Fair enough."

"And now I have something to tell you," said Lily. "A surprise."

"Oh, I love surprises!" said Sophie.

"I know you do," said Lily. "I don't understand the wish to be surprised, but I accept it."

Sophie's eyes widened. "Don't you like surprises?"

"I prefer to be prepared as much as possible," said Lily.

"But you can't always do that at work," said Sophie. "You have to be ready for anything."

Lily nodded. "This is true and I must admit I like that aspect of working in an ED. I appreciate the challenge of the unexpected. But I feel as though I have quite enough surprises in my working life without adding them to my personal life too."

"Yet you choose to give me a surprise," said Sophie teasingly. "Anyone would think you didn't like me at all."

"Sophie, of course I like you!" said Lily anxiously. "I am giving you the surprise now only because I know you like surprises. But I am also giving you time to prepare. It won't come into effect until tomorrow morning – and only then if you want it to."

Sophie was smiling. "That sounds deliciously intriguing. A bit like the time Ethan dropped hints about bringing strawberries and cream to my room at university and told me not to wear anything special. So naturally, I wore no clothes at all and…" She stopped. "Sorry, Lily. That's too personal, isn't it?"

"Perhaps just a little, considering I work with Ethan," said Lily.

"But all he wanted to do was for us to feed each other strawberries and cream," said Sophie. "And he didn't want me to wear special clothes because he knew he'd end up spilling it. Which he did. And we had this rule that whoever spilled something had to lick it off. And Ethan dropped a strawberry down my - obviously, I put some clothes on when I saw how embarrassed he was - he dropped a strawberry down my cleavage. So he had to-"

"Yes. Thank you for sharing that, Sophie," said Lily quickly. "Would you like me to tell me you about your surprise now?"

Sophie stopped smiling soppily and sat up a bit straighter. "Sorry, Lily. I'm listening now."

"What are your plans for tomorrow?" said Lily.

"Shopping, I thought," said Sophie.

"Of course, shopping can be very pleasant," said Lily. "But not always of value to your future career. I spoke to Mrs Beauchamp yesterday she says if you'd like to come to the hospital tomorrow and get some more experience, you're very welcome."

Sophie stared at her in amazement. "Seriously?"

"I am not in the habit of joking," said Lily.

"Oh. I thought you were now."

"Or not in matters relating to my career," said Lily. "Would you like to come? Or would you rather shop?"

"Oh, Lily, of course I'd love to work in the hospital again!" Sophie flung her arms around her. "Who wants to buy shoes when they could be being thrown up on by drunks?"

Lily wasn't used to any kind of hug and this type particularly surprised her. She hugged Sophie back and discovered it was much easier than hugging Cal.

"Thank you for arranging it, Lily," said Sophie. "I can't wait! When I see Mrs Beauchamp, I'm going to give her the biggest kiss!"

Lily gasped slightly. "I hope very much that you're making a joke."

"Of course I am," said Sophie. "Will I be working with you?"

Lily hesitated. "I would like it very much if you could work with me, but I understand if you'd rather be with Ethan."

"I'd love to work with you," said Sophie. "I promise I'll do my very best not to stab the patients."

"I have faith in you," said Lily.

Sophie's eyes were dancing. "But do you have the _patients_?"

"Yes," said Lily. "If I'm working with you, I will need _lots_ of patients."

* * *

Cal arrived home at 1.30am. His plan had been to bring someone home with him, but none of the girls in the pub had really captured his interest. Even when he managed to convince himself that one of them was hot, he was soon disappointed when he tried to talk to them. All they ever seemed to do was flick their hair at him and giggle and say: "Oh, Cal! You've got such big muscles!"

Did they really not think he'd figured that out for himself? He had a mirror and he used it frequently. It was particularly useful when he needed cheering up.

He decided that when he got home, he'd definitely look in the mirror.

Cal climbed the stairs tipsily and unlocked the door, all ready to spend another night lying awake and wondering why things always went so well for his brother and so badly for him.

Her decided against putting the lights on. The last time he'd come home in the middle of the night, he'd forgotten to switch the lights off before going to bed and had got a lecture about the electricity bill from Ethan. So Cal tried to get to the kitchen in the dark, only to fall over an armchair and hurt his mouth.

He tasted blood and decided it was just as well he hadn't brought anyone home. Even Cal wasn't terribly sexy with blood pouring from his mouth.

He decided to go to the kitchen for some kitchen roll, but this time, his foot caught the edge of the coffee table. Cal tried to steady himself, but as he wasn't very steady to begin with, he fell over again. There was a crash as the coffee table overturned. A second later, the room was filled with blinding light. It was much too bright for Cal even to think about opening his eyes, but unfortunately, there was nothing wrong with his hearing.

"For God's sake, Caleb: why didn't you put the light on?" said Ethan.

Cal was now as injured emotionally as he was physically. "I was worried about the electricity bill," he said reproachfully.

Instead of being grateful, Ethan sighed long-sufferingly. "You're bleeding," he said, with more annoyance than concern.

"It wasn't me who put the armchair there," said Cal, slapping his hand on the table for emphasis. "Or the table."

"Caleb, if you still want to be in a position to use the armchair and the table tomorrow, I suggest you be very careful what you say."

Cal looked at him with interest. "Are you going to punch me again? If you're going to punch me, I might as well seduce Sophie. If I'm going to get punched anyway…"

"I was thinking more of throwing you out," said Ethan. "But if you even try to seduce Sophie, a punch will be the least of your worries."

"I can't seduce her," sighed Cal. "She loves you. And I've hurt my mouth anyway. I don't think I'll be kissing anyone for a week."

"Let me see." Ethan stepped forward and examined Cal's mouth. "It doesn't look too bad. Go to bed and I'll bring you a gauze pad."

Cal stayed where he was on the floor. "My knee hurts too. And I feel a bit sick from all the blood in my mouth."

Ethan sighed. "And the alcohol I can smell on your breath has nothing to do with it, I suppose. I'll bring you a bucket and some tablets and water for tomorrow morning. I'll look at your knee once you're in bed. Can you get up?"

"I don't know," said Cal. "I don't think so." He was shocked by Ethan's lack of sympathy. And to think Ethan was a _doctor_. "My knee really hurts quite a lot, you know."

Ethan hauled Cal to his feet. "Come on. Lean on me. Not that heavily!" he almost shouted as Cal's weight nearly knocked him over. He put his arm around Cal's waist and helped him into his bedroom.

"How's Sophie?" asked Cal.

"She's very well," said Ethan.

"So, what did you get up to?" asked Cal as Ethan lowered him onto the bed.

"We treated a patient with mental health problems and anaphylaxis," said Ethan.

"That's very romantic. Do you ever ask Sophie random medical questions? I never caught her out once. Oh, Ethan: I miss her." Cal put his head on Ethan's shoulder.

Ethan patted him. "Cal, I am sorry you're hurting, but what can I do? Break up with Sophie so you can be together?"

Cal turned his head to the side. and looked at Ethan through blurry eyes. "I did it for you."

Ethan sighed. "Cal, I can't... Caleb, you're bleeding on my new pyjamas!"

"Don't worry, Ethan," said Cal, quite flattered by how worried Ethan sounded. "I'm sure I'm not that seriously injured. Physically, I'm a bit of a wreck, but I've still got all my mental faculties."

"That," said Ethan, "is a matter of opinion." And heHe stomped off to the bathroom.


	9. Chapter 9

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I love it when Ethan looks after Cal - I think most people prefer it to be the other way around, but I like a bit of both! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

 **ETWentHome** , I'm really happy you're pleased about Sophie coming back to work in the hospital - but you're right: Cal probably won't be pleased at all! Thank you for your review.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you're looking forward to seeing Sophie and Lily working together - the last time they worked together was a bit of a disaster so hopefully it will be easier now they don't hate each other!

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm glad someone appreciated the strawberries and cream story - Lily obviously didn't! Yes, it looks like Cal's week has got even worse. Thank you for your review!

* * *

Cal woke up with a hangover and the knowledge he'd humiliated himself in front of Ethan again.

His lip was swollen too, which was going to mean all sorts of cheeky comments from his colleagues and patients. He was just considering phoning in sick when he realised something that almost cheered him up.

Ethan had overslept.

Cal went to Ethan's bedroom. "WAKE UP! Ow, my head." He abandoned shouting instead of shaking Ethan. "Ethan, wake up. It's time to go to work."

Ethan opened his eyes and blinked sleepily at Cal. "Didn't I set the alarm?" He reached for the clock and knocked it off his bedside table.

Cal picked it up and handed it to him.

"Thanks," yawned Ethan. He held the clock close to his face. "CALEB!"

"What?" said Cal.

"It's 5am!" said Ethan.

"No, it's not. Your clock must be wrong." Cal went to his room and looked at his clock.

That said 5am too. So why had the alarm gone off?

He sat on the bed and tried to work it out. it wasn't easy when his head was still aching, but finally, he got there.

He went back into his brother's room. "ETHAN! THAT'S NOT FUNNY!"

Ethan opened his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but being woken up and shouted at at 5am isn't funny either."

"How _could_ you set my alarm to 5am?" said Cal, really quite upset now, though that was partly because of his headache.

"I didn't set your alarm," said Ethan.

"Then who did?" said Cal.

Ethan smiled. "There's only one other person in this flat, isn't there? I would guess you set it yourself, Caleb, but you got it wrong because you… weren't quite yourself last night."

Cal glared at him. "I suppose you're going to tell Sophie all about this and have a good laugh."

"Of course I won't," said Ethan soothingly.

"Oh, do what you like! Like I even care!" Cal stomped off to his room.

* * *

Ethan wasn't expecting to see Sophie until the evening so he was very surprised when he arrived at the hospital to find her standing at reception with Lily, Robyn and Lofty.

He almost ran to her side. "Sophie, are you okay? Are you injured?"

"Yes," said Sophie.

Beside her, Lily frowned. "You're injured?" she said, but her words were almost drowned out by the very anxious Ethan.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?"

He didn't know why (or on second thoughts, he knew exactly why) but the thought of Sophie with even a small injury terrified him so much more than the thought of another patient in cardiac arrest.

Sophie stepped closer to him. "I'm injured that you've been here for twenty whole seconds (not that I'm counting) and you haven't kissed me yet."

Ethan felt himself relax. "I'm so sorry. That was most remiss of me." He kissed her lips lightly.

"Is that all I'm getting?" said Sophie.

"Well, it is a bit public," said Ethan with an apologetic wave of his hand towards the waiting room.

Robyn pushed Ethan closer to Sophie. "No: give her a proper kiss!"

"Like this," said Lofty, and bent Robyn backwards over the reception desk just as Dylan passed.

"Ben, Robyn: is this really necessary?"

Lofty stopped kissing Robyn, but couldn't resist teasing his new friend. "Are you jealous, Dylan?"

"Extremely," said Dylan.

Lofty made a grab for him. "Then come here and I'll give you a kiss too!"

"Oi, you!" said Robyn, giving Lofty a friendly swipe. Lofty turned back to her and kissed her again as Dylan made his escape.

"Perhaps we could all settle down now?" suggested Lily pointedly.

"Sorry, Lily," said Ethan, and turned back to Sophie. "What are you doing here, anyway? Not that it isn't lovely to see you."

"I'm working with Lily," said Sophie. "She arranged it with Mrs Beauchamp. How come you didn't think of something like that?"

"Well, actually, I did think of it," said Ethan in a low voice, "but I was too scared to ask Mrs Beauchamp."

Sophie hugged him. "Aw, poor little Ethan."

Ethan hugged her back. "I know. I'm the most terrible coward. I don't know why you put up with me. Are you here all day?"

Sophie nodded.

Ethan smiled. "Then I imagine I'll see quite a lot of you."

"I can tell you're Cal's brother," said Sophie teasingly.

"Oh gosh." Ethan went red. "I didn't mean… I'm so sorry."

"Ethan Hardy, will you stop apologising and kiss me?"

"Of course. Yes. Sorry. No. I'm not sorry. I'm really not sorry at all." Ethan put his arms around her and kissed her as everyone cheered.

He let her go slowly, smiling. His hands slid down her arms and grasped her hands.

He leaned in for another kiss.

"Is this really necessary?" said an upset voice.

Sophie gasped, a horrified look on her face.

Ethan hurriedly let go of Sophie's hands. "Sorry, Cal."

"What for?" said Cal. "It's not like it's anything to do with me, is it? What do I care if you kiss medical students in full view of all the patients? Just remember: I kissed her first and you'd never have got anywhere with her if it hadn't been for me."

He stalked off. Ethan was caught between embarrassment and guilt.

Lily touched Sophie's arm. "Let's go and do some work now. Don't think about Cal."

"I didn't mean to upset him," said Sophie, her eyes filling with tears.

Ethan hugged her. "I know. Don't cry, darling. None of this is your fault."

Lofty spoke kindly. "I'm sure Cal will calm down. He's just a bit surprised, that's all."

Robyn smiled sympathetically at Sophie. "Shall we go and have some tea and a chat? We're not due to start for twenty minutes so you might as well."

"Can Lily come?" said Sophie.

"Of course you can come, Lily!" said Robyn. "I meant both of you anyway."

The one good thing about the whole horrible mess was the surprised and delighted look on Lily's face.

* * *

Ethan was hoping he wouldn't see Cal anytime soon, but as luck would have it, almost as soon as he'd said goodbye to Sophie, he walked into him. Literally.

"You are annoying when you're in love," said Cal. He was rubbing his arm. "Have you got pictures of Sophie stuck to the insides of your glasses or something?"

Ethan sighed and decided he might as well say it. It didn't look as though the problem was going to go away. "Cal. You know the last thing I want is to hurt you, but Sophie is my girlfriend and you're going to have to get used to that."

"How can I not get used to it when you keep shoving it in my face every chance you get?" said Cal.

"I'm hardly shoving it in your face," said Ethan. "Maybe the incident in reception was a little unwise, but for the most part, I think I've been very considerate. I haven't brought her back to the flat once – and I do have every right to do that considering it's my flat."

Cal flung his hands in the air. "Fine! Bring her back to the flat! See if I care!"

"You don't seem to care quite a lot to me," said Ethan sadly. "I do understand, Cal. I love Sophie too. But she loves me and she shouldn't have to feel guilty for that. You need to get over it – and not just for Sophie's sake. For your sake. It's making you unhappy and none of us want that."

Cal crossed his arms. "So what are you going to do? Bring Sophie back to the flat tonight and giving me a front-row seat of the action?"

"No, I think that would be a little excessive," said Ethan. "But we need to think of something."

Cal sighed. "I thought I was coping really well."

"Mostly, you are," said Ethan. "You're carrying on with your work; you're polite to Sophie – apart from the little scene today, which I fully accept was my fault, I couldn't ask any more."

"Then what's your problem?"

"You're not happy," said Ethan. "And I feel responsible."

" _I'm fine_ ," said Cal.

"Really?"

"No," said Cal.

Ethan didn't know what to say so he held out his arms to Cal instead.

"And the reason I'm not okay," said Cal, ignoring the hug, "is because my little brother won't leave me alone. Okay, I'm struggling. Okay, I've still got a thing for your girlfriend. But that doesn't mean I want you fussing round me with your hugs and your sympathy and your stupid guilt. Have you got that?"

"Got it," said Ethan.


	10. Chapter 10

**Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I'm really glad Cal's coming across in such a positive way! There's more Robyn and a little bit of Lofty in this chapter too.

 **Tato Potato** , it is very difficult for Cal, but I am hoping he'll be at least on the way to feeling happy by the end of the story. Thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review - I'm really happy you enjoyed the update. There's a lot of Lily in this chapter so I hope you'll like this one too.

 **ETWentHome** , no, it's not easy for Cal! Maybe Sophie should have said no for his sake, but she probably didn't know how much Cal loved her. Besides, it would have ruined my story! Thank you for your review.

 **Guest/TimeLadyOdair** , I thought it was you! I'm sorry to hear schoolwork is getting in the way of more important things like reading and writing, but I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I hope you didn't hurt yourself falling over the coffee table! I think Cal will get over Sophie eventually - but he's going to need some time. Ideally some time without Ethan and Sophie kissing in front of him. Thank you for your review!

* * *

Robyn checked that nobody was coming and then pushed open the door of the on-call room. "Come on. Quickly."

"We're not allowed in here!" said Lily.

"No, it's fine," said Robyn. "No-one will catch us. Max and Zoe used to come in here all the time."

Lily covered her eyes with her hands and leaned against a cupboard. "I think I did not need to know that, Robyn."

"Don't worry, Lily," said Sophie, as she sat on the bed. "I'm sure they've changed the sheets since then."

Robyn giggled. "I'm not even sure if they they used the bed anyway!"

Lily jumped away from the cupboard as though it had burned her.

"But I don't know for sure," said Robyn quickly. "I only know what I overheard Max telling Lofty." She sighed. "It's a shame about Max and Zoe. They were such a good couple."

"What happened?" said Sophie.

"Zoe cheated on Max on her hen night," said Robyn, as she sat beside Sophie. "Then she just went off and married him like nothing had happened."

Sophie looked shocked. "I always thought Zoe was so nice."

Robyn nodded. "So did I. So did Max. Seriously, I used to respect her, but she's just an old slapper."

"So, what happened?" said Sophie, half-sympathetic, half-excited.

"She told Max in the middle of the reception," said Robyn. "The wedding reception, not the hospital receptions."

"And what happened then?"

"There were big explosions," said Robyn dramatically. "Zoe nearly died."

Sophie gasped in horror. "You mean Max tried to _kill_ her?"

"No! Of course not," said Robyn. "Dylan's boat exploded. Didn't Ethan tell you? Honestly, that man is useless."

"So, if that happened at the reception, they're probably not really married," said Sophie.

"Yeah, they are," said Robyn. "I was at the ceremony. But Max wants a divorce."

Sophie looked a bit confused. "So they _did_ consummate the marriage? Max must be much faster in the bedroom than he is out of it!"

Lily cut in quickly. "Excuse me, Sophie and Robyn. I'm not sure we should be discussing Dr Hanna's... private affairs."

Robyn waved her concerns away. "Don't worry about that, Lily. We're girls! We always talk about the doctors' private affairs. It's practically the law."

Lily began to feel a bit worried. "Do you also talk about me?"

"I'm sure they only say good things," said Sophie quickly.

"Yes, of course!" said Robyn, not terribly convincingly. "But we're going to talk about Cal and Ethan now. You are so lucky, Sophie. I wish I had those two fighting over me! Or any two men fighting over me!"

Lily frowned. "But you have Lofty. Why would you want two when one is enough and where there is a risk of Lofty becoming hurt?"

"Welcome to girl talk," said Sophie. "We don't just confide our innermost secrets, you know. We complain about what we love; yearn for what we don't want and then decide it's all hilarious and collapse into mindless giggles. Oh, and then we do each other's hair."

"But… why?" said Lily.

"Because it's fun!" said Sophie and Robyn.

"I see," said Lily dubiously. "So, I must complain about what I love. I am very unhappy about being a registrar. I would like to complain about the extra work and responsibilities. It is very… frustrating that I must work all the time instead of talking to the nurses and the students about handsome doctors and who is sleeping with whom." She looked at Sophie and Robyn hopefully. "How was that?"

Sophie smiled. "Almost worryingly convincing!"

"Now yearn for what you don't want!" said Robyn.

Lily thought for a moment. "I want Caleb Knight so badly, I feel as though I might… develop angina. He has such… such enormous… muscles and I just want to… to take them in my hands and fondle them."

Lily looked at Sophie and Robyn triumphantly, quite pleased with her effort, but they were both looking over her shoulder in horror.

Lily turned to see the door was open and Lofty was staring at her. "Take what in your hands and fondle them? Lily, are you hitting on _my_ girlfriend or Ethan's?"

"What are you doing here?" demanded Lily.

"I just thought I'd let you know Mrs Beauchamp's looking for you and Sophie," said Lofty.

"Right," said Lily. She straightened her skirt self-consciously. "Thank you, Lofty. And… and I wasn't talking about a woman."

Lofty shrugged. "Shame. It would be nice to have someone else to talk to about fit girls. Ouch! Robyn, that hurt."

"So did what you just said," said Robyn, but she was smiling. "Maybe, as Lily and Sophie are deserting me, you could stay for a few minutes and make it up to me?

"Maybe I will," said Lofty.

"I think that is our cue to leave," said Lily to Sophie. "Very quickly!"

* * *

Ethan was standing by the nurse's station when Sophie arrived with Lily. He was surprised she wasn't wearing scrubs, but he couldn't say he was disappointed. She looked beautiful. Very beautiful. And he should probably stop staring.

Sophie nudged Lily. "Who's that gorgeous doctor over there?" she said, nodding towards Ethan.

Lily looked a bit surprised, but then she seemed to realise Sophie was joking. "That is Dr Hardy. He is in a very serious relationship. Now, please pay attention, Sophie."

Sophie smiled at Ethan. "Oh, I'm paying very close attention, Lily."

Ethan smiled back. He was playing very close attention too.

He just hoped Cal wouldn't see them.

Louise put two files down in front of Sophie and Lily. "Okay, we have a twenty-nine year old male with dizzy spells and rather large muscles that probably are worth examining. Or a seventy-one year old female who is passing blood clots after having her haemorrhoids banded. Take your pick."

Ethan knew that Lily would either choose either the nearest file (the haemorrhoids) or the one that interested her most medically (probably also the haemorrhoids).

Lily pursed her lips for a short while in thought. "We'll take the dizzy spells."

"Good choice!" said Louise approvingly. "And I love the matching outfits, by the way."

Ethan hadn't even noticed they were in matching outfits. He hadn't really looked at Lily.

"Presumably, Louise, as you're bringing this to our attention, you don't feel this patient is a time-waster," said Lily.

Louise shook her head. "He could be, of course, but I thought he was worth bringing to your attention for the muscles if nothing else."

Sophie nudged Lily and giggled. "Lily likes muscles, don't you, Lily?"

"I…" Lily looked like she didn't know what to say.

"They warm the cockles of her heart," said Sophie. "Lily's really not into shrimps at all."

Ethan walked over to Sophie and spoke into her ear. "What was I telling you last night, Sophie? Remember your plaice and don't rock the boat."

Sophie smiled and turned to face Ethan. "For cod's sake, Ethan, I can't believe I'm herring this."

"Don't be so crabby," said Ethan. He took her hand in his.

"Ethan, I thought we were sole mates!" said Sophie.

"We are, darling, but you've got to admit you're skating on thin ice," said Ethan.

Sophie moved closer to him. "I think I've haddock enough of you."

"Are you telling me to get trout?"

"I just don't think we're singing the same tuna anymore," said Sophie.

Ethan shook his head and smiled. "I'm sorry, but you're really making me flounder."

"Bass-ically, you've got the wrong end of the stick again," said Sophie. "Maybe I should give up on emergency medicine and become a sturgeon like Mrs Beauchamp?"

"Sturgeons are not usually considered edible fish," said Ethan. "You're just a prawn in this game, Sophie."

"You're making up the rules as you go along!" said Sophie. "I think that's a bit shellfish."

"How do you two think of these things?" said Louise, amazed.

"Oh, it's just a matter of mackerel thinking," said Ethan modestly.

Lily picked up the file. "Excuse me for interrupting. But I think there is something very fishy about this argument. I suspect it is not an argument but a method of flirtation. Dr Hardy, I'm sure you have some work to be getting on with."

"Yes, of course," said Ethan. "I'm sorry, Lily." He checked that Cal wasn't around and kissed Sophie quickly. "I'll see you later, sweetheart. I know you'll be brilliant."


	11. Chapter 11

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I really am happy you like the puns. I'm sure there will be more! I don't think Cal is ready for another relationship yet, but things could have changed by the end of the story! Lily is still and getting used to friendship, but a relationship could follow!

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I love puns so it's great to be able to use so many in this story. I felt so bad for Lily when she missed out on Zoe's hen night, so I really wanted to give her more of a social life in this story. It's not natural for her yet, but she's getting there!

 **Tanith** **Panic** , I'm glad you liked the fish puns. I wondered about Connie overhearing the sturgeon comment, but I thought there was enough going on in the scene already! Lofty really did say the wrong thing for once, but at least he only did it to make Lily feel better. Thank you for your review!

 **TimeLadyOdair** , thank you for your review! I'm so happy you like the story. And thank you for encouraging me to write a sequel! I'm glad you like Ethan and Sophie's repartee. Is that better than the b-word? Lily's whole life has probably been Work, Study, Eat, Sleep, but things are going to change!

* * *

Halfway to the cubicle, Lily made her decision. She put her hand on Sophie's arm. "Just a minute, please. Sophie, I would like to get you involved with this patient."

Sophie smiled sweetly. "That's a very nice thought, Lily, but I already have a boyfriend."

Lily hesitated. She knew it was a joke and if they were conversing as friends, she would have laughed or at least smiled. But she wasn't sure if that was a good idea when they were at work. On the other hand, she didn't want to tell Sophie off.

She decided to ignore the joke entirely. "I mean I'd like you to take the lead," she said. "If you're not sure of something, I'll be there to prompt you. If you get anything wrong, I will correct you."

Sophie looked very nervous, but she nodded. "Okay, Lily. I'll do my best."

"You should call me Dr Chao in front of the patient," said Lily. She smiled. "And I'll call you Miss Matthews, of course. Are you ready, Miss Matthews?"

"Ready, Dr Chao."

They went into the cubicle.

"Hello, it's Kenneth, isn't it?" said Sophie. "I'm Miss Matthews and this is Dr Chao."

The boy, who certainly had noticeably large muscles, nodded. "My friends call me Kenny."

"We are not your friends," said Lily sharply.

"But I'm happy to call you Kenny if that's what you'd like," said Sophie. "I understand you've been having dizzy spells? I know you've probably already gone over your symptoms a million times, but would you mind doing it again for us?"

"No problem," said Kenny.

"Thank you," said Sophie, and smiled at him.

Lily felt the smile was a little too warm. It certainly made Kenny blush. She decided to warn Sophie about that later. Appearing to flirt with the patient was almost as dangerous as flirting for real.

Kenny began to list his symptoms. Sophie asked about recent head injuries and alcohol consumption; Lily about recreational drug use. As she listened, several possibilities began to form in her mind. Some were dismissed as she heard further symptoms and the answers to Sophie's questions. By the end of Kenny's recital, Lily had three likely diagnoses at the forefront of her mind, though there were several others that were possible and a few more that were by no means ruled out.

"What do you think, Miss Matthews?" asked Lily.

Sophie gave Lily a panicked look, but the answered the question calmly. "I would say the three most likely possibilities based on the symptoms described are hypotension, paroxysmal positional vertigo and adverse reactions to medication."

"Could you say that with fewer medical terms, please?" said Lily, for Kenny's benefit.

"Of course," said Sophie, and addressed her words to Kenny. "Don't worry: it's not nearly as scary as it sounds. Low blood pressure, a problem with your inner ear, and medication side effects."

Lily nodded. "Thank you, Miss Matthews. What should we look at first?"

Sophie smiled at Kenny. "First, I'd like to check your pulse and blood pressure, Kenny. Then I'll take some bloods. While we're waiting for the results, I'd like to go over your list of medications with you."

Lily looked approvingly at Sophie. "Can I help, Miss Matthews?"

"If you can get the blood pressure monitor out for me, Dr Chao, that would be really helpful," said Sophie. "Now, Kenny, I need to ask you a few questions to make sure this is a good time to take bloods. I'm afraid the first one is quite nosy. Do you need to go to the loo?"

He stared, laughed, and shook his head. "No… though I might change my mind now you've mentioned it."

Sophie laughed. "Then I'll change the subject. When did you last eat?"

As Sophie asked a few more questions and took Kenny's pulse, Lily busied herself with preparing the blood pressure monitor for Sophie. She already knew that Sophie could use the monitor, so she stood back and let the student do all the work.

"Now, being on the observant side, I have noticed you have rather large muscles," said Sophie, as she put Kenny's arm into the correct position. "So I'm not sure whether a large cuff will be needed. I'll start with the small… no, you definitely need the larger one." She wrapped the large cuff around his arm. "Now, this might feel a bit uncomfortable, but it shouldn't last too long."

Lily watched as Sophie inflated, then deflated the cuff and took an accurate reading of diastolic and systolic pressure.

"Is that normal, Miss Matthews?" she asked, just to test Sophie.

Sophie nodded. "It's within the ideal range, Dr Chao. It's actually closer to pre-high blood pressure than to low blood pressure, but not nearly close enough to be a cause for concern. Besides, being in hospital raises most people's blood pressure a little bit. It's known as 'white coat syndrome', but they should probably change it to 'blue scrub syndrome'. Or 'white shirt and black skirt syndrome' in our case."

Kenny laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen a doctor wearing a white coat in real life."

"I do actually have a white coat," said Sophie. "But I'd never wear it for work: it's too nice! Now: let's take some bloods."

"What are we testing for?" said Lily.

"Full blood count, thyroid function, electrolytes and blood sugar," said Sophie promptly.

Lily decided to add liver function to the list due to the medication Kenny was taking but chose not to say so in front of the patient. "I'll see to it, Miss Matthews," she said, mouthing _Good work!_ at Sophie as she passed.

* * *

Cal was glad when it was time for a break. He just couldn't get the image of Ethan and Sophie out of his head. He hadn't actually made any mistakes yet, but it was more difficult to concentrate than usual. He felt tired and headachey and definitely in need of a caffeine boost. He knew that coffee wouldn't necessarily help his headache, but remaining alert was more important than any physical aches and pains.

He wandered into the staff room kitchen to see if anyone had left any food lying around. To his delight, there was a tin on the kitchen work top with some chocolate cake inside. Cal had a look in the staff room to make sure no-one had come in (as he hadn't been offered a slice, it was possible it was just for the nurses) and began to cut himself a piece of cake.

"Hi, Cal," said a voice from behind him.

Cal jumped, and cried out as the knife went into his finger. He pulled it away and watched in horror as blood gushed out. He was used to other people's blood and fingers often did bleed a lot when there wasn't much wrong, but he wouldn't say he was happy about this development.

"What is it?" Ethan hurried over and took Cal's hand in his. "Come with me. I'll get a dressing." He guided Cal into the staff room and sat him on a chair. "Keep putting pressure on it." He returned within a few seconds with a dressing. "Can you hold it over the wound for me? That's good."

Cal stared at him incredulously. "'That's good'? Ethan, just because I've cut my finger, it doesn't mean my medical degree becomes null and void."

"Sorry. It's just habit," said Ethan. "Can you raise your hand a little bit for me?"

"No, I won't," said Cal. "I'm not doing anything for you. I'm doing it for myself because I know what I'm doing."

Ethan straightened up. "Fine. I'll leave you to it. Don't forget to clean up the kitchen afterwards: there's blood on the counter and I would recommend throwing away the slice of cake you were trying to cut. But of course, you knew that already."

"Ethan, don't go!" said Cal. "No. I didn't mean that. I mean, do go. If you want to. But you don't have to."

Ethan sighed. He came back and sat beside Cal. "How's the pain?"

"Painful," said Cal, and sighed. "Ethan, why does this kind of thing always happen to me? Why does it never happen to you?"

"Perhaps it's because I was a good boy in my previous life," said Ethan. "Or in my current life, come to that."

"It's your fault, anyway," said Cal. "If you hadn't made me jump…"

Ethan looked a bit annoyed, but not for long. "I'm sorry for making you jump, Cal," he said as he secured the dressing and slid a tubular bandage onto Cal's finger. And don't worry: I've cut myself at work on several occasions. You just seem to, um, shout a bit more loudly when it happens. You know I'm a bit shy of asking for help. But it does happen to everyone."

Cal felt himself relax slightly. "Ethan. About before. With Sophie. I overreacted."

"Well… Sophie and I certainly were behaving inappropriately," said Ethan. "I suppose I got caught up in the excitement of seeing her unexpectedly. I'm sure it won't happen again."

"Yeah. I wouldn't want to see you get into any trouble, little brother," said Cal. He made a joke, even though it kind of hurt. "Though I suppose it's Sophie who needs to worry about 'getting into trouble' with you around."

Ethan went bright red, but he managed to reply. "You know me, Cal. I always take every precaution."


	12. Chapter 12

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm pleased you like the scene between Sophie and Lily. I like writing medical scenes.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review - I'm really happy you enjoyed the chapter.

 **ETWentHome** , Cal is definitely cut up! And possibly on a knife-edge too. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I think Lily is very shy socially but much more confident professionally - so she overdoes the professional side. Thank you for your review!

* * *

"Kenneth's bloods really should be back by now," said Lily. "Do you mind if I go and see what's happening, Miss Matthews?"

Sophie had taken the bloods herself - and done a very competent job of it. Lily didn't like the idea of complimenting Sophie in front of the patient, but she planned on doing so later. She'd done an excellent job with taking Kenny's blood pressure too and Lily was favourably impressed.

Sophie smiled. "That's fine, Dr Chao. I'm sure I can manage."

"I don't doubt it," Lily assured her. "I'll be back as quickly as I can."

She tried to phone the lab, but all she got was an answerphone message. Lily sighed: they really ought to have someone in charge of the phone at all times. It worried her sometimes how incompetent hospital workers could be. She had been told her standards were unrealistically high, but she wouldn't have thought that answering the phone was difficult.

She stayed where she was for a moment, wondering if she should go back to Sophie and the patient. She came to the conclusion this was unnecessary. Sophie would be fine.

Lily looked at the clock. She would wait a few minutes and then phone again.

* * *

Cal didn't enjoy working with a bandaged finger. It was embarrassing. _Everyone_ noticed it. Between the sympathy, the amusement and the concern that he might not be fit to do his job, he was starting to get very annoyed . Even the ones who were too polite to say anything gave his finger a good stare and it was perfectly obvious that most of them were trying not to smile.

He discharged one comedian and stood outside cubicles for a moment, wondering if he could justify taking a break. It was too early, but he felt like he needed one and both his head and his finger were hurting now.

He'd just about persuaded himself that taking a break would be acceptable when he heard a sound from one of the cubicles. Two sounds, in fact. A yelp and a thump. Cal quickly went over and pulled the curtain aside.

To his horror, Sophie was lying on the floor with a male patient on top of her. Cal grabbed hold of him, dragged him to his feet and shoved him out into the cubicle. "Security!" he shouted, and then knelt down beside Sophie. "It's okay, baby. It's okay. I've got rid of him."

"Cal… no…" Sophie said between attempts to breathe.

"Sh, don't try to talk," said Cal. "It's okay. I'm right here." He took her hand in his and stroked it. "You're safe now. It's going to be okay."

"No… he didn't…"

Cal placed his finger against her lips. He felt a jolt of electricity and his hand shook slightly. "Don't talk now, Sophie. Just try to breathe. It's okay, beautiful."

"But…" gasped Sophie. Her eyes filled with tears. Whether it was from shock, the effort of speaking or pain, Cal couldn't say.

"You can talk later, baby," he said softly. "I've got you. Nothing else bad is going to happen to you. Something bad might happen to Lily because she shouldn't have left you alone with him, but none of this is your fault. Okay?"

"No… Cal, listen…"

"Sophie, if you say one more word, I'm going to kiss you!" said Cal. "You don't have to worry about talking now. Just breathe and try not to panic. You're completely safe."

Sophie tried to sit up.

"No, don't sit up either," said Cal. "You might have injured your back. I'll check you over once we've got your breathing sorted. It's okay."

"Dr Knight," said a voice from behind him. "I assume you have an explanation of why you just threw an unconscious patient out into the corridor and started pawing our student doctor?"

Cal kept hold of Sophie's hand as he turned to Connie. "Mrs Beauchamp, I'd like to report that patient for sexual assault," he said, his voice shaking. "He jumped on top of Sophie and pushed her over."

There was a gasp from Sophie, but she caught Cal's eye and thought better of speaking.

In the circumstances, Cal couldn't even feel disappointed. The more he thought about it, the more upset he felt. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"Sophie." Connie knelt down on Sophie's other side and spoke with the gentle voice she only ever used for patients, and even then only occasionally. "It's going to be all right. Whatever happened, we'll get to the bottom of this and take the correct action. Can you tell me what happened in your own words?"

Sophie opened her mouth, then looked at Cal and shut it again.

"Um, I might have told her I'd kiss her if she tried speaking," said Cal. "I didn't think it was a good idea for her to speak till she'd got her breath back."

"So you threatened to do the exact same thing as Sophie's assailant has allegedly – in your opinion – done," said Connie. "Perhaps you could explain your logic to me later, Dr Knight."

Cal was shocked. "No! It wasn't like that at all. I wouldn't actually have kissed her."

"Really?" said Connie. "Forgive me if your reputation has preceded you. Sophie, can you tell me what happened, please?"

Sophie was breathing more easily now, though her voice was still soft and breathy. "He wanted to go to the loo. I said I'd show him the way. But he fainted. I tried to catch him. But he was so heavy, he pushed me over."

"Well done," said Connie gently. "That's all we need to know." Her voice changed as she turned back to Cal. "You see, Dr Knight? There's a perfectly innocent explanation. Now I very much hope for your sake that you haven't caused that young man a serious injury."

Cal was the one who felt slightly faint now. "I'm sorry, Mrs Beauchamp. I wasn't thinking straight. I just panicked. I thought he'd hurt Sophie."

"We don't pay you to panic - and thinking is exactly what we require in all situations," said Connie. "Being a knight in shining armour isn't about rushing in to rescue people. It's about doing the right thing. You clearly didn't."

Cal looked miserably at the floor, unable to meet her stern gaze.

"It's not your fault, Cal," said Sophie. "Thank you for coming to help me. I couldn't breathe."

Cal tried to smile. "Any time."

Sophie looked at Connie. "Can I sit up? I'm sure I'd breathe better… if I sat up."

"You probably would, but I need to check you over first," said Connie. "Are you in pain anywhere?"

"I think... my diaphragm is in spasm," said Sophie.

Connie smiled. "An excellent diagnosis, but I am asking about pain. Have you hurt your back or your head?"

"I don't think so," said Sophie. "I'm not aware of any pain. I didn't twist my body… as I fell."

Connie looked over Cal's shoulder. "Dr Knight, it looks like the patient is awake. I suggest you go and apologise."

"Okay." Cal squeezed Sophie's hand. "Would you like me to find Ethan?" He looked quickly at Connie. "After I've apologised, I mean."

Sophie shook her head firmly. "No, thank you. I don't want to worry him."

"Okay," said Cal a bit doubtfully. "I'll see you later. I'm sorry for getting everything wrong as usual, but I'm glad you're okay."

* * *

Lily was almost feeling happy as she returned with the blood results. Not that she was in any way happy about the patient's condition, but it marked another success for Sophie. She walked down the corridor towards her cubicle – only to stop.

Her patient wasn't in the cubicle. He was lying in the middle of the floor, being checked over by Rita and a very red-faced Cal.

"Dr Knight, what happened?" she demanded sharply.

"The patient fainted on top of Sophie," said Rita. "Our resident knight in shining armour thought he was attacking her and decided to throw the patient out of the cubicle. Literally."

Lily gave Cal an exasperated look, but her main concern was Kenny. "Is he all right?"

Cal looked even more awkward. "He hit his head so we're sending him for a scan, but there's a twenty-minute wait so we're going to get him into a cubicle first."

"What about Sophie? Is she all right?"

"I think she's just winded," said Cal. "Mrs Beauchamp is checking her over for spinal injury. She said her head and her back weren't hurting, but what if she's hurt and she doesn't realise it?"

Lily was surprised to feel a stab of sympathy. Cal had got everything wrong, as happened far too often in Lily's opinion, but she knew he'd only been trying to protect Sophie from what had looked like serious danger. As she was suffering from solar plexus syndrome, Sophie would have been struggling to speak and unable to explain what had really happened, leaving Cal to draw his own conclusions. "She's in very good hands, Cal. Even if Sophie doesn't know she's hurt – which I'm sure she would– Mrs Beauchamp will know. Try not to worry."

Cal looked down at Kenny. "I hope he's okay too."

"Yes, you do have more reason to worry where the patient is concerned," Lily couldn't help saying.

Rita looked up as a trolley arrived. "Okay, Cal. We can take it from here."

Cal nodded and hurried quickly off.

Lily watched him go. She would have hoped that Cal would be over Sophie by now. It seemed he wasn't.


	13. Chapter 13

**Tato Potato** , Cal does like being the knight in shining armour who does whatever it takes to help the damsel in (respiratory) distress! Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , Cal really isn't over her! I'm hoping he'll be over her by the end of the story, but he's got a way to go. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I think Cal usually does mean well, but he's an expert at getting into awkward situations!

* * *

Ethan wondered what was wrong with him. He hadn't had a particularly late night last night, but he felt very tired. He was also struggling to think and was glad to be working in cubicles rather than Resus. With a brain moving at this sort of speed, he knew he was going to struggle in emergency situations.

He just hoped he wasn't coming down with something. There was never a good time to be ill, but he'd been looking forward to spending the week with Sophie. He'd made plans for their next two evenings together and was looking forward to surprising her – just as she always surprised him when he went to visit her at university. It wouldn't be as much fun for Sophie if Ethan was ill – and if he was contagious, they probably shouldn't spend time together at all.

Once the patient was discharged, Ethan took his glasses off and massaged his temples. His head was starting to ache too now. He swallowed to see if his throat was sore. It didn't seem to be, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. He really hoped he wasn't getting a cold. If he had something a bit more life-threatening, Sophie might find it quite educational to look after him - though on second thoughts, he didn't want to worry her. But there wasn't much you could do with a cold, besides catching it.

But it might not be a cold. It might just be a simple headache. That wouldn't be much fun for Sophie either, but he might be recovered by the end of his shift and even if not, at least she couldn't catch a headache from him.

"Ethan, are you okay?" Robyn was looking at him in concern.

"Never better," said Ethan untruthfully, and quickly put his glasses back on. "Well - onwards and upwards."

He left the cubicle but stopped as he began to feel dizzy. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. The dizziness passed quickly and he knew it might be related to the fact he'd had breakfast a bit earlier than usual, but it worried and annoyed him.

He jumped as Robyn touched his arm. "Maybe you should go and have a break, Ethan? I'm sorry if I've made a mistake, but you don't seem very well."

It was a real effort not to snap at her, but Ethan didn't snap at anyone if he could help it. Especially not someone who was trying to be kind to him. "I really am fine, Robyn. Please don't worry. I don't know why I felt dizzy. I don't feel ill at all." Honesty compelled him to add: "Well, I do have a bit of a headache, but that's an occupational hazard."

"Okay. If you're sure," said Robyn sweetly.

Ethan tried to smile. "I am sure. Please don't worry."

Robyn, looking only slightly reassured, left him alone and Ethan continued his walk towards the nurses' station, but he was forced to stop again when he heard his brother calling his name.

Or rather, his nickname, which Ethan had told him on numerous occasions not to use in public. And ideally, not at home either.

Cal looked a bit panicky. Ethan felt a surge of annoyance. This was all he needed.

"Ethan, I've got to tell you something," said Cal.

Ethan sighed. "What have you done now, Caleb?"

"Nothing!" said Cal. "Why do you always assume I've done something? Can't a man say hello to his brother if he feels like it?"

"Fine," said Ethan. "Hello, Caleb. Can I go now?"

"No," said Cal.

"Ah, I see: so there is something else." Ethan realised he sounded annoyed and silently told himself to calm down. Clearly, Cal did want to say a bit more than just hello, but there was no reason to assume Cal wanted Ethan to cover for him or to help him out of a jam. It could easily be something completely innocent.

"I don't want to worry you," said Cal. "It's probably nothing serious."

"I think you're going to have to do a bit better than that," said Ethan. "Because I do feel worried!"

"Mrs Beauchamp doesn't think it's too serious," said Cal. "And she's usually right. She's checking her over now."

"Checking whom over?" said Ethan.

Cal touched Ethan's arm. "It's Sophie. A patient fainted on her. I think she's just winded, but she's in cubicles with Mrs Beauchamp. I thought you'd want to know."

* * *

Lily walked into the cubicle and looked down at her patient. "Hello, Kenneth. How are you?"

"I'm fine," said Kenny. "It's weird, but I actually feel a little bit better now that ape has thrown me around a bit. Maybe a good shaking-up was what I needed!"

Lily cringed at the memory of what Cal had done. "Again, on behalf of the hospital, I offer my sincerest apologies for Dr Knight's behaviour. It was utterly uncalled for and I can promise you that it won't happen again."

"No, it's okay," said Kenny. "It sounds like he meant well, jumping in to protect his girl, and it probably did look a bit dodgy, me being on top of Miss Matthews like that. Not that I actually remember any of it."

"Perhaps that's just as well," said Lily. The fact that that Sophir was actually the ape's brother's girl was none of Kenny's business. She glanced down at the paper she was holding. "Kenneth, I have the results of your blood tests here. I thought we could go through them while we're waiting for your scan."

"Couldn't we wait till the proper doctor gets here?" said Kenny.

Lily was too stunned to speak for a moment or two. "Excuse me?"

"I'd really like to see Miss Matthews," said Kenny. "I'm sure you're very nice and everything and I don't mean any offence, but to be honest, I'd really like to be with someone who… well, someone knows what they're doing."

Lily gasped. "I can assure you I know what I'm doing," she said icily. "Rather better than Miss Matthews, I think you'll find." It was obvious to her what he really wanted. He thought Sophie was attractive and wanted to spend more time with her.

"Look, I'm sure you're really promising and everything," said Kenny in a kind voice. "You seem really… bright and… focused. But are you sure Miss Matthews would be okay with you speaking to me without her being here?"

Lily stared at him in confusion. She had to admit he didn't seem to be salivating at the prospect of Sophie's care and attention. He just looked worried. Worried about being treated by Lily. "I don't think I quite understand."

"Yeah, that's really kind of the problem," said Kenny with an apologetic smile. "I think it's great that the hospital gives very junior doctors like you the chance to observe proper doctors doing their work and I'm very happy for you to be here – though I am a bit surprised that Miss Matthews didn't ask my permission to let you observe. But don't you think you're maybe overstepping your boundaries a bit now?"


	14. Chapter 14

**beckyboogle** , thank you for your review - I'm so pleased you enjoyed the chapter. I suppose neither Sophie nor Ethan is in great shape at the moment!

 **Tato Potato** , I'm glad you found Kenny's mistake about Lily and Sophie funny - I'm not sure Lily did though! Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , it won't have done Lily's confidence any good at all! You'll find out what's wrong with Ethan soon. Thank you for your review!

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. Lily's response might surprise you... but then again, it might not! Ethan definitely isn't too well.

 **TimeLadyOdair** , you need to stop going away when I'm updating! I know what you mean about your own bed. I'm staying in a hotel tonight, but luckily, I do have WiFi or I wouldn't be able to cope! Yes, both brothers still love Sophie... I really need to do something about that! Thank you for your review.

* * *

Ethan hurried down the corridor with Cal and burst into Sophie's cubicle. "Are you all right, darling?"

"Well, I'm quite annoyed with Cal for disregarding my wishes," said Sophie, with a look in his direction. "But I'm fine apart from that, Ethan."

Ethan moved to kiss her, remembered that it might upset Cal and hugged her instead. He felt slightly faint from walking so quickly, but he hoped that would pass.

Cal actually hung his head. "I'm sorry, Sophie. I know you said not to get Ethan, but I thought you were just being brave or something. I thought you would want to see him really."

"I am quite happy to see him now he's here," said Sophie. She held Ethan's hands. "Thank you for coming, Ethan. But I really am okay and I didn't want Cal to worry you over nothing."

Ethan kissed her on the cheek. "I wasn't worried. No. I mean I _was_ worried. I was definitely worried. But Cal gave me no reason to think it was any more serious than it was. I was mainly worried because it was you."

"Ethan, you're silly," said Sophie. "I'm sure I'd be exactly the same if you were ill."

"Well, I'm not ill," said Ethan, hoping this was true. "I'm definitely not ill."

They had a proper kiss this time, but Ethan was sure it was an accident.

"Right. Well. I'll leave you to it," said Cal.

"Wait: come here!" said Sophie.

Ethan stepped aside so Cal could go to her. He watched as Sophie hugged Cal and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue, Cal," said Sophie.

Cal gave a strained smile. "Just call me your knight in… I mean, always happy to help."

"I'd really like to call you my friend," said Sophie a bit anxiously.

"Then you can," said Cal. "Because I am. I'll always be your friend." A mischievous look came into his eyes. "At least until you start calling me your brother-in-law!"

Ethan choked slightly and felt himself go very red. Cal looked delighted to have embarrassed him. He was actually smiling as he left the cubicle.

Ethan just wished he could be sure Cal's smile was genuine and not just bravado.

* * *

Lily just stood and gaped at Kenny. It must be some kind of joke. He couldn't really think that.

Kenny suddenly raised his voice, calling to someone he must have glimpsed through the curtains. "Hey… excuse me? Are you a doctor?"

"I'm a nurse," said Lofty's voice. He stepped between the curtains. "But I can go and get you a…" He stopped as he noticed Lily. He looked confused.

"I did have a really good doctor," said Kenny. "Miss Matthews. I could tell she was good because only the really top doctors are called Miss."

Lofty looked like he didn't know what to say. "I know it can be difficult, changing doctors, but you'll be fine with Dr Chao. She really is very good."

"Yes, thank you, Lofty. I don't need you to support me," said Lily. Then she realised that might count as not being polite. "But thank you. It was kind of you."

"You see, you say that, but I'm just not convinced by her," said Kenny. "She seems really nice and everything, but she kept asking Miss Matthews all these questions like what she was going to do and what she thought about everything. She didn't seem to know anything! She even had to ask Miss Matthews to use fewer medical terms because she didn't understand them. And she didn't know if my blood pressure was in the normal range. I really think that's something a real doctor ought to know and I'm not comfortable working with someone who doesn't."

Lofty glanced uncertainly at Lily. "I'm sure there's some kind of explanation…"

But Lily said nothing. All she could do was stare at Kenny, shocked. No, she wasn't just shocked. She felt humiliated. She really must have given a terrible account of herself if he thought that. It wasn't even as though Kenny was one of those silly men who didn't like female doctors. He seemed more than happy with Sophie!

"No. It's not like that," she managed at last. "You've got it wrong."

"I'm really sorry, Dr Chao – if you are a doctor," said Kenny. "The very last thing I want to do is upset you."

"I'm not upset! I'm trying to correct your error," said Lily. She saw the sceptism on his face and turned impatiently to Lofty. "Very well. If you will not accept my word, perhaps you will accept Nurse Chiltern's. Lofty, please explain to this gentleman that I am not an imposter and also tell him the exact nature of Sophie's position in the ED."

Lofty looked a bit embarrassed, but he did as he was told. "Dr Chao is a registrar, which is a fairly senior type of doctor," he explained. "Miss Matthews is a Miss because she hasn't qualified as a doctor yet. She's working with Dr Chao to learn more about life in an emergency department. If Dr Chao asked her any questions, that was almost certainly to test Miss Matthews' knowledge. It wasn't because she didn't know the answer. There isn't very much Dr Chao doesn't know."

 _Except how to respond when someone thinks I'm incompetent,_ thought Lily. "Thank you, Lofty. Kenneth, I hope you're satisfied now."

Kenny looked doubtfully at Lofty, but he obviously saw the sincerity in the nurse's eyes. He turned back to Lily. "I'm sorry, Dr Chao. I really thought Miss Matthews was a proper doctor. And the best ones _are_ called Miss, aren't they? I haven't got that wrong?"

"Surgeons are known by titles such as Miss or Mr rather than Doctor," said Lily. "Our clinical lead is also a surgeon so we call her Mrs Beauchamp. The rest of us aren't surgeons and are known as Doctor. Sophie is a medical student and therefore not a doctor, so she is a Miss. I can understand your confusion. Are you now happy for me to proceed?"

"Yes, Dr Chao. Very happy," said Kenny, but then he frowned. "If Miss Matthews isn't a doctor, how come you let her do blood tests?"

Lily tried to smile at Lofty. "That will be all, Lofty. Thank you for your assistance. Please keep this matter to yourself."

"Of course I will, Dr Chao," said Lofty, and it was clear he meant it.

Lily waited until he had gone, then turned back to Kenny. At one time, Lily wouldn't have considered answering his questions. They were irrelevant. It was not strictly his business and those working in the hospital did not need to justify their presence. Patients were required only to answer questions, not to ask them.

But Lily still felt humiliated that she'd given the impression of being stupid and incompetent. There were times when she felt inadequate at work, usually when it came to the matter of having an acceptable bedside manner, but she didn't think her intelligence and competence had ever been questioned before. "Miss Matthews used to work as a phlebotomist so she has experience in taking bloods. She also has her own blood pressure machine and knows how to use it."

Lily decided she didn't want Kenny to leave until he knew she was both intelligent and competent.

Besides, Louise was right. He did have rather nice muscles.

"Kenneth, are you in employment?" asked Lily. On receiving an affirmative, she added: "What is your job?"

"I work for a law firm, Dr Chao. I'm very junior because I've only just graduated, but you never know what might happen in the future."

A lawyer? Lily's interest increased. So did her pulse rate. "And… you have the ambition to go higher, Kenneth, I mean Kenny?"

"That's what I'm hoping. I really like it there," said Kenny. "At the moment, I'm mostly just observing the real solicitors, but I'm really enjoying it. Of course, my boss is really hot, which probably helps."

Lily gave Kenny the benefit of the giggle she'd been perfecting. "I'm sure it does, Kenny." She flicked her hair and nearly tore her earring out.

Kenny smiled at her. "I think you'd like my boss. He is seriously the epitome of male perfection. But it's more than that. He's seriously intelligent too. Unfortunately, he is married. To a woman. But it's nice to have something pretty to look at when you're at work, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," Lily sighed. Sometimes all attractive men did was get your hopes up.


	15. Chapter 15

**beckyboogle** , if you want to read more, here you are! Thank you for your review. Cal loves embarrassing Ethan (and in this case it probably also cheers him up a bit) so I'm glad I was able to include something like that.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I had a feeling that as Lily likes consultants and bankers, she'd probably also like a lawyer! I'm glad you like the connection between Sophie and Ethan. I'm not sure Cal does though!

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for both your reviews. I'm glad you like Kenny - I wanted him to discomfit Lily without actually being horrible to her. I don't think Lily is really a gold-digger - she just wants a husband on her intellectual level. Unfortunately, that means going after men who are likely to earn a lot!

 **ETWentHome** , I love Ethan when he's considerate, but I don't know if Cal would be as sensitive if Ethan liked his girlfriend! It was probably a new experience for Lily to be seen as incompetent - but maybe her day will improve soon. Thank you for your review!

* * *

"I've got a surprise for you," said Ethan.

It was lunchtime and Ethan and Sophie had gone across the road to a café. Ethan didn't think the food was that great and he didn't feel great either, but the company was excellent.

"A surprise?" said Sophie. "What kind of surprise?"

Ethan smiled. "Why don't you guess?"

"Okay," said Sophie happily. She liked guessing. "Are you going to break up with me?"

Ethan stared at her. "Certainly not!"

"That's good," said Sophie. "I don't think I'd like it if you broke up with me. Okay… um… has Mrs Beauchamp decided to offer me a job when I graduate?"

"Not that I know of, but if so, I'm sure she'd tell you rather than me," said Ethan. "One more guess, darling."

"Are you going to get a sex change and call yourself Ethel?"

Ethan started to laugh. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, darling, but… no."

"Don't worry," said Sophie. "I'll still love you if you don't get a sex change. So are you going to tell me?"

Ethan smiled and reached for the bag he'd brought with him. "Here you are." He handed Sophie an envelope.

She opened it and gasped. "Tickets for _La traviata_ at the Holby Grand Theatre? Oh, Ethan!" Sophie got up from the table and ran around it to give Ethan a hug. "Thank you, darling. I love you." She kissed him, then looked at him on confusion. "I thought you said it was sold out."

"It is sold out," said Ethan. "By the time you mentioned that you'd like to see it, I'd already bought the last two tickets."

"Oh, Ethan!" Sophie kissed him again and sat on his lap so she could hug him properly. "You're the best boyfriend in the world."

"Well, you're the best girlfriend in the world," said Ethan. He was aware they were bring stared at, but he decided he didn't mind for once. He was just happy his girlfriend was happy. "I love you."

* * *

Cal had never been so glad to stop for lunch. He was starving and his last patient had proved almost impossible to get rid of. He was sure she fancied him and at one time he might have been interested, but not now.

He was completely over Sophie, of course, but he now had higher standards. He wasn't going to go out with any girl who showed an interest.

Finally, he got rid of his patient as politely and tactfully and non-flirtatiously as he could and went off to change out of his scrubs. Once he was ready, he ran across the road to the café.

And stopped.

Sophie was sitting on Ethan's lap, kissing him. Her hair was in Ethan's lunch, but neither of them noticed and Cal was willing to bet that Sophie wouldn't care.

"I love you, Ethan," said Sophie.

"And I love you, Sophie," said Ethan. "Oh gosh. Your hair's in my lunch."

Sophie shrugged. "I don't care. I can always wash it."

Cal watched them for a moment and tried to convince himself that it was hilarious watching Ethan behaving like that in public, but he didn't find it funny at all.

He just felt sad.

Why couldn't he have a girl like Sophie who loved him enough to declare it in the middle of a restaurant and cared more about Cal than her hair?

Or just a girl who loved him would be good. Cal used to like thinking of himself as a heartbreaker, but it wasn't often he went out with a girl enough times for her to fall in love with him.

Cal discovered he wasn't hungry anymore. He left the café and went off to the staff room to sulk, only to discover Lily had got there before him. She looked like she might be sulking too.

"Cal, are you all right?" Lily almost looked worried about him.

Cal sighed and sat down beside her. "I just saw Ethan and Sophie in a café together."

"Everyone has to eat," said Lily.

"I know, but… it's like everyone in the world has someone except me," said Cal, pouting.

"I don't have anyone either," offered Lily.

Cal shrugged. "Okay, want to go out for dinner tonight?"

Lily looked startled, but then, to his surprise, she nodded. "All right."

"Seriously?" Cal was dismayed, though he tried not to show it. He wouldn't have asked Lily if he thought she was going to say yes.

"Why not?" said Lily. "If we run out of things to talk about, I can always test you for your upcoming exams."

Cal didn't even try to look enthusiastic. "Now, there's an offer I can't refuse."

"Good," said Lily. "I'll see you after our shift." She finished her coffee, stood up, and left the staff room.

Cal put his head in his hands and groaned.

* * *

Lily wasn't quite sure why she'd said yes. Cal wasn't her favourite person in the hospital (that was currently Sophie, with Ethan in second place). On the other hand, he wasn't her least favourite person in the hospital either. She wasn't quite sure who her least favourite person in the hospital was. She'd never had a particularly high opinion of Robyn and Lofty, but Lofty had helped her a lot with Kenny and she'd enjoyed talking to Robyn in the on-call room

She still wouldn't say Cal was her least-favourite person though. She didn't appreciate the way he'd manhandled her patient earlier, but that had come from a genuine desire to protect Sophie. Lily thought she might have done the same thing in his position, though she hoped she would have noticed that the patient was unconscious.

"Oh my God: Lily!" Robyn appeared out of nowhere and clutched Lily's arm. "Where's Sophie?"

"Having lunch with Ethan across the road, I believe," said Lily.

Robyn looked momentarily disappointed. "Oh, never mind. I'll tell you instead. You will NEVER guess what I just saw!"

Lily looked assessingly at Robyn. She noted that Robyn's eyes were wide as well as sparkling. She was also slightly breathless. "You have just seen two of our colleagues behaving in a flirtatious manner."

"Oh my God: did you see them too?" said Robyn.

"No. I was merely guessing," said Lily. She told herself she wasn't the least bit interested in who it was. She was here to work and if her colleagues wanted to spend their lunchtime in close confines, that was nothing to do with Lily.

Robyn was holding Lily's arm so tightly, it was almost painful. "I just saw Jacob putting the moves on Mrs Beauchamp! And she didn't tell him to get lost until they were nearly kissing!"

Lily had to admit that even if she had been sufficiently interested to wonder which two colleagues Robyn meant, she wouldn't have thought of those two. "Shall I tell Sophie later?" Not that she really wanted to pass on gossip, but she knew Sophie would be interested. Sophie was a guest in her home so it was Lily's job to keep her entertained.

"Yeah, sure, if I don't see her before I start work," said Robyn. "Is Sophie going out with Ethan tonight?"

"I think so," said Lily.

"So you'll be on your own?"

Lily grimaced. "No, I am going out for dinner with Cal tonight."

Robyn gasped, let go of Lily's arm and threw her arms around her. "Lily, that's amazing! I am so, so happy for you. Lofty and me were saying how you'd make the perfect couple."

"Cal and I are just friends," said Lily.

"That's what me and Lofty used to say," said Robyn. "But we're not just friends now, are we?"


	16. Chapter 16

**beckyboogle** , thank you for your review. I want Cal to be happy too. Maybe one of us could do it! I haven't actually mentioned it in this chapter, but I imagine the whole department knows about Cal and Lily by now!

 **casualtyfan14** , yes, Ethan is ill, but it's nothing too life-threatening! You'll find out what's wrong in the next couple of chapters. Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , I hope it wasn't too obvious! But for the moment, it's far from romantic and they're not looking forward to it! Thank you for your review.

 **Angel 2021** , thank you for your review. Cal and Lily's date should happen in the next three or four chapters. If something does happen, it will be messy (emotionally, I mean!) as Cal still loves Sophie.

 **ETWentHome** , I'm happy I made you laugh! I think that's typical Robyn! If two people so much as look in each other's direction, she's onto it and she makes sure everyone else is too! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm jealous too - it's one of my favourites! I think Lily probably isn't short of money as she's a doctor and probably doesn't have a social life. Thank you for your review.

* * *

"Ethan, are you okay?" said Sophie. The lunch hour was coming to an end and Ethan's head was agony. He knew he could take another paracetamol if he wanted to, but he didn't want Sophie to worry about him.

Ethan smiled. "Of course. You're here so I couldn't be happier."

"That's very sweet, Ethan, but I think you could probably be _healthier_." Sophie interlocked her fingers with Ethan's. "You're very pale and you've massaged your forehead twice in the last five minutes."

"I really am fine," said Ethan.

"Stop talking bonce-sense," said Sophie.

"I... um..." Ethan was finding thinking an effort. "I hoped I'd managed to skull you into a false sense of security."

"Ethan, you need to face the truth head on. You're not very... Ethan, you're doing it again."

Ethan removed his hand from his forehead. "Perhaps I do have a little bit of a headache. It's quite noisy in here."

Sophie squeezed his hand. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's _head_ back to the ED and you can take some painkillers."

Ethan didn't want to worry her by telling her he'd taken one already. He was grateful for her arm around his waist as they walked back to the ED. In the staff room, he had an ibuprofen and at Sophie's suggestion lay down until the end of his break.

He didn't feel well at all and he didn't know how he was going to get through his shift... or their date.

* * *

Lily nodded in satisfaction when she found Sophie ready and waiting for the afternoon's work, though it wasn't long before she realised Sophie was worried. "Is everything all right?"

"Ethan's not very well," said Sophie. "It's just a headache so far, but he's very pale and he seems tired."

"Headaches can cause pallor and tiredness," said Lily.

"They can," said Sophie. "But it's different when you love someone, Lily. Even though I know it's probably nothing, I am convinced he might die."

Lily rubbed Sophie's arm. "I'm sure he's fine. As I expect you know, Ethan is generally in very good health, but everyone gets headaches sometimes. I'm sure it is no more than that. I can't remember the last time Ethan had a headache, if that is any consolation." Then something came into her mind and she frowned. "Do you think Ethan will be too unwell to go out tonight?"

"He says he'll be fine," said Sophie. "But I'm not sure. He will probably feel worse by the end of his shift. Will it be okay to spend the evening with you if Ethan's too ill?"

"Yes, of-" Lily stopped. "You can certainly spend the evening in my flat, but Cal has asked me to have dinner with him."

Sophie gasped. "Lily, that's brilliant news! I had no idea you liked Cal. So what you said about his muscles earlier, you actually meant it?"

"No, not in the least," said Lily, slightly horrified that anyone could have taken her seriously. "I was merely throwing myself into the exercise. You did say that women often say things they don't mean when gossiping about men."

"That's a shame," said Sophie sadly. "I really do want Cal to find a girlfriend. I feel so guilty about what I did to him."

Lily knew she wasn't very good at comforting people, so she changed the subject. "I know something that will cheer you up. A piece of gossip."

"Juicier than you and Cal having dinner together?" said Sophie.

"I am not an expert of gossip, but I would say yes," said Lily.

Sophie looked at her eagerly, then laughed. "You're the complete opposite of Robyn, Lily. She wouldn't be able to keep it to herself. You're just teasing me and you're loving it!"

Lily was forced to admit that Sophie was correct. She was enjoying making her wait. "It is on the subject of flirtatious behaviour between two members of the department."

"Oh, who?" said Sophie. "Obviously it's Mrs Beauchamp and… Big Mac."

Lily had to admit that was an intriguing image, if a rather disturbing one. "You are half-right. It is Mrs Beauchamp and Staff Nurse Masters."

"You mean Jacob?" said Sophie.

Lily nodded. "Robyn says she did not rebuff him until he was nearly kissing her."

Sophie gasped. "No way! She must be joking. But you'd know better than me: is it possible?"

"Robyn has a wild imagination in romantic matters," said Lily. "It is possible her report was exaggerated. I have noticed Staff Nurse Masters looking in the direction of Mrs Beauchamp with an air of… appreciation, but if Mrs Beauchamp did not deliver an immediate rejection, that is unlike her and probably therefore remarkable."

* * *

Ethan gave the patient a smile that he hoped convinced her he wasn't feeling terrible. As she started to look worried, he could only assume he'd overdone it. "Sorry," he mumbled and hurried out.

He wished it was time to take a break. The second ibuprofen hadn't done more than take the edge of the headache and his throat was feeling sore now too. But it was much too early for a break and Ethan Hardy had always been more likely to skip his break entirely than to take it early.

Besides, if he did take it early, it would only mean he had to work for longer afterwards.

He paused for a moment in the corridor. His memory seemed to be affected too and he couldn't remember who his other patients were. He stayed where he was for a moment, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't really have forgotten his patients. Cal did sometimes, but never Ethan.

Was his next patient the one with the drawing pin stuck in his penis?

No, he was long discharged. Ethan had a feeling his current patients were all female. But he couldn't remember anything apart from that.

"Nibbles? What's wrong?"

That voice – and that nickname – could only come from one person.

"Nothing's wrong," said Ethan.

Cal held the back of his hand against Ethan's forehead. "I think you might have a temperature, Nibbles. Come on. Come with me." He put his arm around Ethan and steered him in the direction of the staff room.

"I can't. I have patients," said Ethan, though he didn't seem to have the strength to pull away from Cal.

"And you also obviously have some kind of illness." Cal sounded really worried. Once they'd reached the staff room, he deposited Ethan in the nearest chair. "Now, tell me what's wrong."

"I've just got a bit of a headache," said Ethan. "And my throat's a bit sore."

Cal nodded. "I can hear you're croaking a bit. Can you open your mouth for me? That's disgusting. Now say 'ah' for me? Hm, that does look quite sore. I had a feeling it might be. Your idea of 'quite sore' is usually everyone else's idea of agony."

"I'm fine," said Ethan.

"Ethan, you can barely stand up and you're probably contagious," said Cal. "Can you swallow?"

Ethan glared at him. "Are you paving the way for something crude?"

Cal looked shocked. "Of course not! I'm worried about you!"

Ethan sighed and swallowed.

"Does it hurt more when you swallow?"

"Possibly," said Ethan shortly.

Cal took his stethoscope from around his neck. "Can you breathe?"

"You're a doctor, Cal. The fact I'm still conscious should be a little clue."

Cal laughed. "You're feisty today, Dr Hardy! Breathe in for me, please. That sounds fine." Looking relieved, Cal slung his stethoscope back around his neck and got out a thermometer. "Now I'm going to take your temperature."

"You don't have to tell me that," muttered Ethan. "I guessed that was what you were going to do when you got your thermometer out."

"Irritability," Cal said worriedly. "That's another symptom." He put the thermometer into Ethan's ear and waited for the beep. "100.4… that's not good. Have you been dribbling at all?"

Ethan glared at him. "No, I have not! I don't know what you're trying to diagnose me with, Dr Knight, but I can assure you I haven't got it."

"Epiglottitis," said Cal. "It's very serious, Ethan. You shouldn't be here."

"On the contrary: if I have epiglottitis, the ED is the best place for me!" said Ethan. "But I don't have it, Cal. The main symptoms in adults are severe sore throat, swallowing difficulties and drooling." He brought this out almost triumphantly, so pleased to have remembered something. "As all I have is a slight sore throat, epiglottitis seems unlikely, but I'll certainly monitor the situation."


	17. Chapter 17

**Gillian Kearney Fan** , that's okay: I knew it was you. I'm glad you're writing again. Thank you for your review - Cal is being a good big brother for once!

 **Tato Potato** , I love a bit of brotherly love too! It's a pity I don't have a brother. I think it must help with making a diagnosis when you know the patient! Thank you for your review.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , it's going to happen the day after tomorrow for the characters, but there will be a few more chapters before then. I'm sorry it's so slow, but I'm glad you're still enjoying it. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I'm really happy you like Lily. Having a friend has helped her to become more confident socially, but I'm sure she still has her moments. No, I'm sure drooling at the opera isn't part of Ethan's life plan!

* * *

Lily smiled at Sophie. "Excellent work, Miss Matthews. A good bedside manner; a correct diagnosis; and a very competently-performed blood test."

"Thank you, Dr Chao," said Sophie. She looked as though she could hardly believe it. "And thanks for letting me work with you. I'm really enjoying it and it feels like I'm doing well."

"You are doing well, Sophie," said Lily. "You have a very bright future. I'm glad I have the opportunity to work with you properly." She paused and added regretfully: "I wish I'd been a better mentor last time."

"You were a great mentor," said Sophie. "We just needed to get to know each other. But you really did me a favour because I got to work with Ethan. And that turned out quite well."

Lily smiled. "It turned out very well. You are very lucky, Sophie."

"You might be lucky too," said Sophie. "Cal's really lovely when you get him to drop the act. Have you decided what you're going to wear for your date?"

"I haven't thought about it," admitted Lily. Clothes weren't really a priority when she was at work. As long as she looked professional, she was happy, and she'd convinced herself that black and white was much more professional than blue scrubs. The fact her new clothes made her look more attractive was, she told herself, immaterial.

They arrived at the nurses' station where Louise handed them a file. "We have a thirty-two-year-old female who was brought to the ED after suffering a blackout. She has been suffering from a headache for seven days and has also suffered from dizziness, nausea and blurred vision. The patient is hypertensive but vital signs are otherwise normal."

Lily took the file and led Sophie to the cubicle. The first thing she noticed about the patient was that she was obese. She also looked very tired, as though she'd had little sleep, and she was wearing sunglasses, which she did not remove. Lily made no comment: although she usually insisted on the removal of sunglasses, she thought she could guess the reason for them.

"Paula Parsons? I am Dr Chao: I'm one of the registrars. This is Miss Matthews, a medical student who is working with me today. Do you object to Miss Matthews' presence?"

"No, that's fine," said Paula in a weak voice.

Lily checked the information given to her by Louise. The length of the headache was confirmed, along with the other symptoms. Sophie checked Paula's blood pressure and confirmed that it was high. Lily discovered that Paula did occasionally get bad headaches, but nothing like this before.

"How is your general health when not suffering from a headache?" asked Lily.

"Not too bad," said Paula.

"I am assuming you are wearing sunglasses because you are photophobic – because the light is bothering you," said Lily. "Does it usually bother you when you have one of your less severe headaches?"

Paula nodded. "It does a little bit: yes."

"Are you also more sensitive to noise and smell?"

"Yes."

"And do you find it difficult to get on with daily activities when you have a headache?"

"It is more difficult," said Paula. "But today has been impossible."

"Thank you," said Lily. She was about to ask about premonitory signs when the curtain was pushed aside and Lofty appeared.

"Sorry, Dr Chao. One of your patients has been moved into Resus. Could you come, please?"

Lily hesitated. She knew Ethan had allowed Sophie to observe in Resus, but Lily felt that the more people there were, the more distressing it became for the patient. "Sophie, please wait with Miss Parsons until I return." She and Lofty left together. "Lofty, are you coming to Resus?"

Lofty shook his head. "I'm just the messenger boy."

"Then please find Sophie a tablet and load up the information about migraines so she can go through the checklist for the different phases with the patient."

A doubtful look crossed Lofty's face. "Are you sure Sophie should be doing that?"

"Lofty, please don't question me," said Lily sharply. "I would not ask you to do it if I was not sure."

* * *

Cal was still looking worried. "It might be tonsillitis. Have you been coughing at all?"

"No," said Ethan, though he felt tonsillitis was probably about right.

"Are you feeling sick or tired at all?"

"I'm sick and tired of you fussing over me," said Ethan.

Cal shrugged, but he looked no less anxious. "Fine. I'll find Mrs Beauchamp and let her deal with it."

Ethan sighed. He didn't think he could cope with that. "Okay. I do feel tired, but I don't feel sick."

"How about pains in the ear?" said Cal.

"No. Just in the neck," said Ethan.

It was a joke, but Cal immediately started feeling Ethan's neck, no doubt checking for swollen lymph glands. "No: your neck seems fine so far. Have you treated anyone for tonsillitis recently?"

Ethan shook his head. "Not _for_ tonsillitis. But I did treat a patient _with_ tonsillitis who got punched in the mouth. I tried to protect myself against infection, but perhaps a few germs crept through."

"Hm. It sounds like it could be tonsillitis, Nibbles," said Cal seriously. "As a doctor, I'm recommending that you go home. As your brother, I'm _telling_ you to go home."

Ethan ran his hands through his hair. "Cal, I can't go home. I have patients to see and I'm going out with Sophie tonight. And tomorrow."

Cal shook his head. "You can't go out with Sophie. I'm sure there are loads of things she'd like you to give her, but I doubt tonsillitis is one of them."

"I hope you're not going to suggest that you go out with her instead," said Ethan.

"No: I don't think Lily would like it if I cancelled our date to spend time with another women."

"Oh. I hope you have a good time," murmured Ethan. He didn't remember being told about Cal and Lily going on a date, but his brain felt sluggish and he couldn't remember much. He massaged his forehead again and was forced to admit he did have a temperature.

Cal looked surprised, then worried. "No lecture on how to making sure I treat Lily better this time? You really must be feeling ill."

"I am," admitted Ethan as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa.

"Then go home." Cal's voice was surprisingly gentle. "I'm not sure that going out with Sophie is a good idea, but you'll never be able to manage it if you do a full day's work."

Ethan was tempted to give him. He really was. But he knew if he took time off work due to illness, he couldn't then take his girlfriend out in the evening. "I'll be fine, Cal. Really. It's probably just a sore throat."

Cal opened his mouth to argue, but he clearly recognised the look of determination on Ethan's face. "Okay, but make sure you have plenty of breaks. I'll get you a glass of water and some lozenges and some warm, salty water too so you can gargle with it. And make sure you have plenty of fluids. I'll be keeping an eye on you."

* * *

Lily watched in relief as her patient's vital signs returned to normal. She hadn't expected the complication and knew there was no way she could have guessed from the information the patient had given her, but she always felt disappointed when she missed something. She waited until she was sure everything had settled, then she returned to Sophie.

She heard Sophie's voice before she saw her.

"Pseudotumor cerebri is a very rare condition that can be misdiagnosed as a migraine or a brain tumour. It means that the pressure inside your skull, known as intracranial pressure, has increased for no apparent reason. It's most common in women of your age and, er, weight. One of the problems with this condition is that it can cause swelling of the optic nerve. Dr Chao can prescribe you some medication to help with this, but it could be that you need surgery."

"Oh my God!" that was Paula's voice, though it pretty much echoed the thought in Lily's mind. "A tumour? What do you mean I've got a tumour? Am I going to die? Please don't tell me I'm going to die!"

Lily's body unfroze and she rushed into the cubicle. "Miss Parsons, I am very sorry for the confusion. Miss Matthews has no authority to make diagnoses and I have no idea where she has got this ridiculous idea from. Sophie, please leave immediately. Go to the staff room and wait for me there."

Sophie stared at her in shock. "But Lily, looking at Paula's case notes, she-"

"You should not even have been looking at the case notes without my permission!" said Lily. She was angry with Sophie, but far angrier with herself. It had been stupid to leave Sophie alone with the patient, the notes and a tablet. Dangerous. Unprofessional. And if Paula made a complaint, Lily would suffer far more than Sophie. "Please go now and I will try to sort out the mess you have created."

Sophie fled from the cubicle.


	18. Chapter 18

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm sure Lily would apologise if she knew she'd done something wrong, but we know what Lily's like! I love how Ethan puts other people ahead of himself - it's sweet but maybe not always a good idea!

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review. Sophie certainly isn't very happy at the moment - it isn't nice being on the receiving end of Lily's anger!

 **beckyboogle** , thank you so much for your very kind comments about my writing. I actually planned the Lily/Sophie scenes before the problem with Lily and Alicia. It's good to know I got Lily in character! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , considering the state of Ethan, the night at the opera might not even happen! I'm glad you almost have some sympathy for Lily - she did have a point this time! Thank you for your review.

 **Gingersnaps2507** , thank you for your review - I'm so pleased you're enjoying the story. I love sick Ethan too - we need to see more of him on TV! And you can't have suffering Ethan without caring Cal.

* * *

Ethan tried continuing with his work as soon as Cal had left him, but it wasn't long before he realised he probably should go home. He wasn't feeling well at all and much as he hated to admit it, he thought it was more than likely he had tonsillitis. He went to the kitchen and gargled with salty water, took a lozenge, and then returned to the staff room to collapse onto the sofa.

He knew he needed to go and find Zoe to let her know he was going home, but he decided he'd just stay here for a few minutes longer.

He was still lying there ten minutes later when a tearful Sophie burst into the staff room.

"Sophie?" Ethan had thought sitting up was impossible, but he found himself in a sitting position without any idea of how he got there. He stood up and staggered over to his girlfriend. "Sophie, what's happened?"

"I don't know if I can tell you," sobbed Sophie.

"Of course you can. You can tell me anything." Ethan led her over to the sofa and sat with his arms around her. "But you don't have to tell me till you're ready."

Sophie rested her head on his shoulder. "It's really bad. I shouldn't have done it. But it just happened."

Ethan had heard that before. Mostly from Cal. "Sometimes you can get caught up in a situation and things happen which you never meant to happen. Whatever it is, Sophie, you can tell me. You know I'll always love you and support you. Please, darling. Just tell me."

"I misdiagnosed a patient," she said, still crying.

Ethan frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that, darling. I'm not sure Lily shouldn't be letting you make diagnoses, but even consultants get it wrong sometimes."

"It wasn't Lily's fault." Sophie sniffed and got a tissue out of her skirt pocket. "She wasn't there. She had to go to Resus and she asked me to stay with the patient and go through the migraine checklist. The patient was very worried and hated the fact that she had to wait for Lily. She wanted to know what was wrong with her. So we talked about her symptoms and the more we talked, the more I became convinced it wasn't a migraine."

"I see," said Ethan, trying to hide his feeling of dread. "What did you think it was?"

Sophie gave a sob. "Pseudotumor cerebri."

"Sweetheart, that's… that's a very rare condition," said Ethan, quite dismayed, though he did his best not to show it.

"I know." Sophie wiped her eyes. "But everything fitted, Ethan. Pseudotumor cerebri is often misdiagnosed as a migraine initially."

"That is true, darling," said Ethan gently. "But most of the time, it is just a migraine."

"But there were other signs," said Sophie, as more tears fell. "The patient is in the right age group. She said her headache was constant and throbbing and worse when she got up. She is suffering from dizziness, nausea and has vision problems and came to the ED following a blackout. She is hypertensive and obese. She told me she was recently given antibiotics for gonorrhoea, which is likely to have been treated by tetracycline antibiotics. I asked her if she was taking any vitamin supplements and she said she was taking Vitamin A. It seemed so conclusive, Ethan."

Ethan hugged her. "In other words, it looked like a zebra, but it was only a horse."

Sophie sniffed. "What do you mean?"

"It's a kind of unofficial medical term," explained Ethan. "Sometimes, a patient's symptoms and their medical history all point in a particular direction – and that can be very useful. But it can also be misleading. Whatever the symptoms, it's still more likely to be a common condition or even a combination of common conditions (those are your horses) than something rare (a zebra). But the possibility of diagnosing a rare disease is exciting and can override logic. It's unfortunate, but you've done nothing that a million qualified doctors haven't done."

Sophie gave a weak smile. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Well, I do want to make you feel better, but I'm also telling the truth," said Ethan. "I've done it myself. So has Cal. He actually did it to me just now. He thought I had epiglottitis, which is rare, but I'm sure it's actually tonsillitis, which is more common."

"Ethan, you've got tonsillitis?" gasped Sophie.

"Probably," said Ethan. "It might just be a sore throat, but actually, either way, I really shouldn't be hugging you. Sorry." He let go and moved a bit further away from her.

Sophie put her arms around him. "Oh, don't worry about that. Poor Ethan. You should have said. I should have noticed! Are you sure you should be here? We'll cancel our date tonight, of course."

"But I want to see you," said Ethan.

"I know, sweetheart, but you can't go out anywhere," said Sophie. She thought for a moment. "But I could always come to your flat. Cal's going out with Lily so he won't be around. You could lie on the sofa and I'll cook you dinner and look after you."

Ethan had to admit that did sound much nicer than trying to cook for himself. "I don't want you to catch it."

"I'd rather take the risk than not be with you," said Sophie. She hugged him. "I love you, Ethan. You're probably feeling terrible, but all you cared about was trying to make me feel better. You're amazing."

"No. You made me forget I was ill because _you're_ amazing," said Ethan.

Sophie kissed his cheek. "Not as amazing as you. Now lie down and don't speak. I'll go and find Zoe and tell her you're ill. Lily asked me to wait for her in the staff room, but I'll write her a note so you don't have to use your voice to explain why I'm not here."

Her voice trembled slightly as she mentioned Lily. Ethan reached for her hand. "Sophie, I'm sure everything will be all right. Lily can be short-tempered sometimes, but she really cares about you. I'm sure she'd feel terrible if she knew how upset you are. You shouldn't have tried to make a diagnosis you weren't qualified to make, but I know how persistent patients can be sometimes."

"I'm sorry," said Sophie. Her eyes filled again.

"Please don't apologise," said Ethan softly. "It is difficult telling a patient you can't diagnose them yourself. Sometimes I need to ask the advice or opinion of either a more senior doctor or another registrar and often that does mean waiting. The patients aren't always happy with that and sometimes it is tempting to go with my gut instinct just so I can give them an answer. You have to be quite strong sometimes. It's difficult, but I learned and so will you." He was losing his voice now, but he still smiled. "I have complete confidence in you."

"I love you," said Sophie, and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much for trying to help when you're not well and it's difficult for you to talk. But you really should go home and rest."

Ethan spoke in a whisper. "I love you too, and I'm going to wait here until we've seen Lily."

"Oh, Ethan!" Sophie looked close to tears again. "I know I'm not a doctor and I really don't know anything, but if you stay, please will you lie down?"

* * *

Cal was halfway through suturing a wound in Resus when he remembered. "Oh sh… sugar."

"What? What's wrong?" said the patient anxiously.

"Nothing," said Cal.

"I never believe anyone when they say it's nothing!"

"It's really nothing to worry about unless you're me," said Cal. "I'm taking a girl out to dinner tonight and I forgot to book the restaurant. But there's probably still time. Just try not to have a relapse on me and I'm sure Lily won't send me back to Resus as a patient."

"I'll take over if you like," offered Lofty.

Cal thought about it but shook his head. He knew Lofty was perfectly capable of suturing a wound, but the risk of complications from various injuries was high and Cal thought he needed to stay with the patient. "Do you know anything about restaurants, Lofty?"

"I probably haven't been to quite as many as you," said Lofty. "But I probably remember them better the next morning."

Cal smiled. He knew Lofty had a point. "Don't be cheeky, Nurse Chiltern! If you could find somewhere a bit up-market and book a table for two under my name, that would be a big help."

"No problem," said Lofty.

"Thanks, mate," said Cal. "I'll do the same for you and Robyn one day."


	19. Chapter 19

**Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review - it's really good to know which bits you enjoyed. I usually wouldn't use swearwords in any form because Casualty doesn't, but I couldn't resist it this time!

 **beckyboogle** , it was so easy to imagine Cal forgetting to book a restaurant and asking someone else to do it! It wouldn't surprise me at all if Ethan's had to do it for Cal. Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. Ethan is just so lovely so I can definitely see him putting other people's needs above his own even when he's ill. That's why we love him!

* * *

Lily put off going to the staff room for as long as she could. She knew she'd behaved correctly and Sophie certainly hadn't, and Lily knew exactly how to speak to a colleague who was getting ideas above her station.

But Sophie was also her friend and that complicated matters in ways Lily didn't completely understand.

She'd discharged Paula with a diagnosis of a migraine. She had investigated the possibility of various other conditions, including the one suggested by Sophie, but while Lily had to admit there was quite a lot of evidence in favour of a diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri, she was able to rule it out with confidence.

Once Lily had checked on her other patients, she decided she couldn't put off seeing Sophie any longer. She went into the staff room and stopped in surprise at the sight of Ethan with his head on Sophie's lap.

"I hardly think this is appropriate behaviour for the workplace!" said Lily, before she could stop herself. Here she was, worrying that she might have upset Sophie, when all the time she was having a cuddle with her boyfriend.

"Ethan has tonsillitis, Dr Chao," said Sophie nervously. "I thought he should lie down. He's asleep now and that's probably the best thing for him."

Lily's mind filled with panic. "Sophie, what did I tell you? You should not be trying to diagnose anyone! Not Ethan and certainly not a patient. What were you thinking? Do you think you're as good as a doctor now just because you have had a few minor successes today?"

"No!" said Sophie, tears starting in her eyes.

"I don't know what to say to you!" said Lily. It was no more than the truth. She didn't know if she should comfort her friend or explain how unacceptable and dangerous her behaviour was. But her words seemed to upset Sophie even more.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm so sorry. I thought I was helping. I thought I was right."

"How could you possibly know if you were right or not?" said Lily, her agitation increasing. "You're just a student. You are here to observe and learn, not to try to pretend to be a doctor. Do you have any idea how much damage you nearly caused?"

The tears were rolling down Sophie's face now, though she was trying not to sob out loud, presumably so she wouldn't wake Ethan. "I'm sorry, Lily. It was arrogant of me to assume I know anything."

Lily didn't want to hurt her any more than she had already, but she knew she had little choice. "It was very arrogant and it had very worrying results. The patient was scared already, but because of you, she was absolutely terrified!"

"I'm so sorry."

Lily almost couldn't bear it. She hated being in this position. She hated having to reprimand Sophie and she was furious with herself for leaving Sophie alone with the patient. She'd always suspected that being friends with your colleagues made working with them more difficult, if not impossible, and now she'd been proved right. "Sophie, I really don't know how Ethan managed to work with you because I don't think I can!"

* * *

At first, Cal could only stare at the scene in front of him: Lily almost incandescent with rage, but trying not to shout; Sophie in floods of tears, but also trying to be quiet; Ethan sound asleep and snoring softly, completely oblivious.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have caused?" said Lily.

Cal hurried over to them. "What's happened?" He glared at Lily and sat beside Sophie. "What's going on, Lily?"

"What's going on is that Sophie is impossible for me to work with!" said Lily, her voice rising with emotion.

"Yeah, I should think the feeling is pretty mutual at the moment!" said Cal. He put his arm around Sophie. "It's okay, Sophie. We can sort this out. You can work with me for the rest of the day if you like or I'll take you home with Ethan. It's up to you and you don't have to decide now."

Lily didn't look that far off crying, herself. "Cal, you don't know what she's done."

"Well, I have asked you about three times!" said Cal. He glanced down at Ethan to check he was still asleep. "Sophie, why don't you tell me your point of view first, then you can have your turn, Lily. But we need to keep our voices down. Ethan's got tonsillitis and I don't want to wake him up."

Lily looked uncertain. "Was that _your_ diagnosis, Cal?"

Cal smiled and shook his head. "My diagnosis was epiglottitis, but Ethan said it was tonsillitis and I think he's probably right. I was just panicking because he's my baby brother."

"Oh. I… I see," said Lily. Cal didn't know what he'd said, but he certainly seemed to have thrown Lily off-balance.

Sophie was sniffing hard. "Cal, I don't suppose you've got a spare tissue?"

"Very unlikely," admitted Cal as he checked his pockets. "I usually only have them when I don't need them. On the very, very rare occasions when I get upset about a patient, you can guarantee there won't be a tissue within a hundred metres of me."

"But _you_ don't need a tissue," said Sophie, still sniffing. " _I'm_ the one who needs one. That's completely different."

Cal brightened. "Yes, that's true!" He tried his top pocket. "And it looks like you're right again. Here you are, beautiful."

"Thank you, Cal," said Sophie, and wiped her nose. "I have got some with me. I'll give you one later. Um, I mean…"

Cal smiled. "I know exactly what you mean. Don't worry. I know you'd never cheat on my little brother."

"I have actually got some tissues in my pocket, but I can't get to them," said Sophie. "Ethan's head is in the way."

Cal rubbed her shoulder. "I have that problem with Ethan's head all the time. It's always in the most irritating possible place. Last night, we were watching TV together and Ethan fell asleep with his head on my shoulder. That was probably because he was sickening for tonsillitis, but I wasn't very impressed. Whenever I want food, Ethan's got his head in the fridge and I have to wait. When I'm trying to study and I've been too busy to do the washing up, Ethan comes over to tell me off and he sticks his head in my face so I can't see my books. Not forgetting the time I crept up behind him and made him jump and he headbutted me in the nose."

Sophie gave a shaky giggle.

"That's better," said Cal. "Now, don't worry. We'll sort this out. Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

Sophie hesitated. "I did something. Something bad."

"I will tell you what happened," said Lily. "I left Sophie alone with a patient. She made a diagnosis."

Cal smiled and gave Sophie a hug. "Clever girl!"

Sophie looked uncomfortable. "Not really."

"No, she was not clever," said Lily dismissively. "It was stupid. It was arrogant. It was not her place. It put me in a very difficult position."

"Did she get the diagnosis right?" asked Cal.

"She did not," said Lily.

"Don't worry. We all get it wrong sometimes," said Cal.

Lily's voice rose. "But that is not the-"

"Where am I?" said Ethan blearily. "What's going on?"

Cal put his hand on Ethan's shoulder. "You're in the staff room; you've been asleep; you're not well. Lily is cross with Sophie; Sophie is upset; I'm trying to support Sophie and not kill Lily."

Ethan sat up slowly. "I remember now." He gave Sophie a hug. "It's going to be okay, darling."

"I must go," said Lily suddenly. "I… I need to get back to work."

"Just a minute!" said Cal, but Lily ignored him and left the staff room. "Okay, Ethan. I'm taking you home."

Ethan smiled sweetly at his girlfriend. "I don't want to leave Sophie."

"Then I'll take both of you home," said Cal. "You can go to bed and Sophie can look after you." He frowned in the direction of the door. "Then I'll come back here and have a few words with Dr Chao."


	20. Chapter 20

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. It's quite unusual for me to write about Cal being competent and capable, so it makes a nice change!

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review. I didn't think Ethan should be driving and he wouldn't be very comfortable on a bus so it was lucky Cal was in a good mood!

 **ETWentHome** , I'm really glad Lily is coming across reasonably sympathetically. I have always got things wrong too so I really identify with her. Thank you for your review!

 **beckyboogle** , for once, I think there's a good chance Cal won't do anything stupid! Then again, this is Cal! Thank you for your review - I'm glad you're enjoying it.

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm glad you like the medical terms - I love the horse/zebra comparison too. It does look as though going to the opera won't be sensible for Ethan! If he coughs more than Violetta, there could be trouble! Thank you for your reviews.

* * *

Lily sat in a toilet cubicle, blinking furiously.

She would not cry.

No, she would not.

She had no reason to cry. Her only mistake was leaving Sophie alone with the patient. It was a pretty big mistake, as it had turned out, but Lily had rectified the situation. She'd reassured the patient and let Sophie know her behaviour was unacceptable. She'd done the right thing.

Sophie had been very upset, but that didn't necessarily mean Lily had gone over the top. She had to make sure Sophie understood what she had done and she couldn't afford to hold back.

Or perhaps Sophie had cried because she felt guilty about what she'd done. Lily liked that idea better. Sophie had got caught up in the moment; made a mistake… and then come back to earth with a thump as she realised what she'd done.

But Lily still felt terrible.

Much as she tried to convince herself she'd done the right thing, the fact remained that she'd made her first-ever best friend cry. And that thought was making Lily cry too.

* * *

Ethan collapsed on the sofa with a sigh of relief. He was glad to be home. His sofa was so much more comfortable than the one in the staff room and he wasn't really allowed to sleep at work.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather go to bed?" said Sophie.

"Too far," groaned Ethan.

He felt someone grab him by the shoulders and knew it was his brother. "Come on, Nibbles. If you don't go to bed now, you'll have to go later so it might as well be now."

Ethan couldn't quite follow Cal's logic, but he felt too ill to argue. "Okay. I'll go to bed."

Cal and Sophie put their arms around him and helped him on the very long journey to his bedroom. Once they were there, Ethan started coughing. He grabbed a tissue from the box beside his bed and covered his mouth with it.

"Cal, he needs…" began Sophie, but then she stopped.

"I think I need to be shot," said Ethan, and coughed some more. Every cough felt like someone was swiping at his throat with something sharp.

"Let's keep that one as a last resort, shall we?" said Cal. "Go on, Sophie. Say whatever you think."

Sophie shook her head. "It doesn't matter."

"I'd like to hear what you think," croaked Ethan.

"No. I think I should leave that to the doctors." Sophie's voice was quiet and she wasn't looking at Ethan or Cal.

Ethan could see that Sophie's bad experiences today had knocked her confidence. It wasn't really surprising. Ethan knew an experience like that would knock his confidence a little bit even now. He thought that going back to the hospital and having more positive experiences would be the best way of helping her to get over it, but he wasn't sure Sophie would agree and in any case, they'd need Connie's permission.

Ethan tried again. "Please tell me what you think I should do. It really is all right, Sophie."

Sophie hesitated, but then she looked at Ethan and seemed to relax. "Okay. Get lots of rest; keep your fluids up; eat foods that don't aggravate your throat. Make sure you cough into a tissue or your elbow in an emergency; gargle with warm salty water; take lozenges and paracetamol." She looked nervous. "Does that sound right?"

"I think that's excellent medical advice," said Ethan, and Cal nodded in agreement.

Sophie looked sad. "It's not medical advice, Ethan. You're just testing me for revision purposes. I'm not allowed to give medical advice."

"You're allowed to give it to me," croaked Ethan.

Cal made a horrified face. "She's allowed to do _what_?" He grabbed his jacket from the floor where he'd dropped it. "If you're going to do _that_ , I'm going back to work right now!"

* * *

Cal wasn't expecting to have the chance to talk to Lily for some time, so he was very surprised to walk into the staff room and discover her sitting on the sofa, almost exactly where Sophie had been sitting.

Her eyes looked slightly swollen and there was a hopeless look in her eyes that startled Cal.

"Lily, are you okay?" he asked, his surprise showing in his voice as he went over to her and sat beside her.

"Why wouldn't I be?" said Lily in a bleak voice.

Cal wanted to put his arm around her, but Lily could be a bit funny with physical contact. Like Ethan, in fact, though both of them seemed perfectly happy to hug Sophie all over the place. "Well, you look like you've been crying and you're taking a break. Neither of which are the kind of thing I expect Lily Chao to be doing."

"It's none of your business what I'm doing!" said Lily fiercely, but her eyes shone with tears.

"I know it's not," said Cal. "And you can tell me to go away if you want to, but I'm worried about you, Lily. I don't think you'd be upset like this unless there was something pretty badly wrong." He lightly touched her hand. "I'd like to help you if you'd let me."

"Even though I upset the girl you love?"

Cal considered. "Yes. I do think you need to sort out the way you talk to people if you want to be a mentor, but that doesn't mean I like seeing you upset."

Lily picked at something imaginary on her skirt. "I don't mean to upset people. I just want them to do their jobs properly. That means not trying to get out of things they ought to be doing-"

Cal gave a wry smile as he realised that probably was directed at him.

"-and also not trying to do more than your job requires of you."

"And I agree with you," said Cal. "On both counts."

"Sophie should not have attempted to diagnose the patient," said Lily with finality. "She is not qualified and she is aware of that. If she had an idea, she should have spoken to me privately. Her role is to observe and learn. It is not a bad thing to attempt to use her knowledge, but not at the expense of the patient's wellbeing."

Cal considered this and was forced to conclude that Lily was right. "Okay. Fine. Sophie made a mistake. But how come she was in the position to make the diagnosis in the first place?"

Lily lowered her eyes and made no answer.

"If you'd been with her, you'd have put a stop to it straight away," said Cal. "So I can only assume you weren't there. You left a student alone with the patient. Sophie shouldn't have tried to make a diagnosis, but you shouldn't have put her in a position where she could."

"I had to go to Resus," said Lily, almost inaudibly. "I did not want to take Sophie into Resus. I believe that being in Resus is a distressing experience for the patient and no more people should be present than necessary."

"Then you should have sent Sophie here," said Cal.

Lily blinked hard. "I know, Cal. I made a mistake too – a bigger mistake than Sophie because I have more reason to know better. I was angry with myself and frightened of what might happen. My emotion manifested itself as anger and I upset my best friend and I don't know if she'll ever speak to me again." Lily's lip trembled and a tear ran down her cheek. "Why can't I do it, Cal? Why can't I just talk to people and make them like me?"

"I like you!" said Cal as he put his arm around Lily. "I like you very much and so does Sophie. She is pretty upset, but she's more upset about scaring the patient and potentially losing your friendship than she is about the way you spoke to her. She thought you were being reasonable."

"But I should have said it in a kinder way!" cried Lily. Her voice dropped. "But I don't know the kinder way."

"Lily, you were in a very emotional situation," said Cal. "Your emotions are going to affect the way you say things. It happens to everyone."

"But the way I say things is always wrong," said Lily.

Cal rubbed her shoulder. "It is really difficult to find the balance between being professional and being caring. It's going to be different for every single patient and colleague and it's better to be too professional than too familiar. You're not the only doctor who gets it wrong sometimes. Dylan's much worse than you. He can be out-and-out rude! Mrs Beauchamp has a lovely bedside manner when she chooses to use it, but she very rarely does! Ethan can be really amazing with patients, but he is also shy and a bit of a geek and sometimes he seems more interested in the illness than the patient. Zoe's probably the best of us, but every so often she snaps and upsets somebody. We're all human, Lily."

"What about you?" said Lily with a sniff. "Do you ever get it wrong?"

Cal smiled. "Me? No, I'm the exception that proves the rule!"

Lily wiped her tears away. "On the contrary, Dr Knight. I think you are often over-familiar and even flirtatious, which I found very inappropriate."

"So maybe we should help each other," said Cal. To his surprise, he was unoffended – which meant there were no reason to employ his usual method of soothing his hurt feelings; no reason to tell himself that Lily was only being insulting to hide the fact that she secretly fancied him. "We can discuss it over dinner if you like."

"You still want to have dinner with me?" Lily looked amazed. "After what I said to Sophie?"

"If you're happy to have dinner with me after all the things I've said to you over the last couple of years," said Cal.

"Everyone makes mistakes," said Lily.

Cal nodded and smiled. "Everyone does. But most mistakes can be forgiven, Lily. You've just got to learn to forgive yourself too."


	21. Chapter 21

**Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review - I'm really happy you enjoyed it. Cal managed to talk to Lily without offending her so he probably did quite well!

 **Tanith Panic** , I think there might also be men weeping if Ethan was shot! I'm glad you liked Cal and Lily's heart-to-heart. They might even be more fun to write about than Ethan and Sophie! Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I wasn't sure how well Cal and Lily would work as friends, but it's easier to write than I expected. I'm glad you like Sophie too - that makes me especially happy as she's my OC.

* * *

Ethan wouldn't have thought it was possible to feel this happy when he had tonsillitis.

His throat was on fire; he kept coughing and he felt very weak and shaky when he did anything stupid like attempting to walk anywhere. He actually felt quite weak and shaky when he was lying down.

But Sophie was with him, holding his hand (Ethan had tried to persuade her to wear protective gloves, but she'd laughed at him). Her hand was cool and soft against his hot skin and the way she ran her fingers through his hair eased his headache a little. She was doing most of the talking, but the sound of her voice made Ethan smile and as the virus that had caused his tonsillitis didn't seem to be affecting his nose, he was able to enjoy the scent of her perfume too.

"It smells even better on you than it did in the shop," murmured Ethan.

Sophie bent and kissed his cheek. "I still can't believe you smelled every perfume in the whole shop just for me."

"I had to choose the best," said Ethan. It had turned out to be a much easier choice than he'd been expecting as there were only three perfumes out of the 50+ that hadn't made him sneeze. The shop assistant had been very kind to him and he'd found out later that she hadn't charged him for the box of tissues she'd had to get for him.

"You did choose the best," said Sophie. "I love it." She kissed him. "Out of interest, where were you going to take me for dinner tonight?"

"Oh, nowhere," said Ethan.

There was a pause. "Nowhere?" said Sophie. "But you said…"

Ethan was horrified. "Oh, no. Not _literally_ nowhere. I just mean nowhere that matters. Because the only thing that matters is being with you."

Sophie laughed. "I love you, Ethan."

"I love you too." Ethan smiled as Sophie started to kiss along his forehead.

The doorbell rang.

"Ignore it?" said Ethan.

"It's probably our dinner," said Sophie. She'd offered to cook, but Ethan didn't think that was fair when she was his guest so they'd ordered a pizza.

"Oh. Yes. Of course it is." Ethan cleared his throat. It hurt.

"I'll be back in a minute." Sophie kissed him and left the room as the doorbell rang again. "All right! I'm coming! I have got heels on, you know!"

Ethan smiled fondly because he knew it wouldn't have occurred to her to take them off. He closed his eyes.

He opened them again a few minutes later when Sophie kissed his nose. "Wake up, Ethan! You can sleep _after_ dinner. Not before."

* * *

Cal frowned at the scribbled note Lofty had handed him with the address of the restaurant. It did sound familiar, but they all did by now. Cal didn't think there was a restaurant in Holby he hadn't been in with at least twenty girls.

Or maybe ten, if he was being honest.

Five, absolute minimum.

Cal had decided that even though this wasn't a date, he was going to give Lily the full treatment. He'd start by opening her door for her and helping her out of her car. Girls always loved that, though a surprising number liked to pretend they didn't. "Don't move," he said, and opened his door.

A skateboarder streamed past, clipped the door and sent it slamming back in Cal's face.

Cal closed his eyes and reminded him the words in his head weren't words he should use in front of a lady.

He also told himself he definitely wasn't shaking.

Then he realised Lily had opened her door and was screaming something at the skateboarder. Cal couldn't hear every word, but he thought he could guess some of them.

A moment later, his door opened and he realised with embarrassment that Lily was opening the door for _him_. "Are you all right?" said Lily. "You're not hurt?"

Cal shook his head. He wasn't hurt, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't shocked.

Though he would obviously lie if Lily _asked_ him if he was shocked. Just because this wasn't a proper date, there was no reason to say anything unmasculine.

Lily held out her hand. "Come on. It's okay. There isn't anything coming now."

Cal put his hand in hers and let her help him out of the car.

"You're shaking," said Lily, concerned.

"Maybe, but it's polite to pretend not to notice things like that," said Cal.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Stop being silly and come with me." She put her arm around Cal as she guided him around the car and onto the pavement. "Have you locked the car?"

"Yes," said Cal, who hadn't.

Lily reached for the handle of the passenger door.

It opened.

Lily just looked at him.

Sheepishly, Cal got his keys out of his pocket and locked up. His hand was shaking, but as he was locking it with a button rather than putting his key in the lock, it didn't matter.

Lily turned Cal firmly to face her. "Cal, it's okay. You'll feel better soon. We'll go to the restaurant and start with some tea to calm you down."

"Oh. I thought maybe their very best champagne might be in order," said Cal.

Lily sighed. "Would it really ruin your image that much to drink tea?"

"Yes!" said Cal.

He thought for a moment that Lily might hit him, but then, to his amazement, she smiled. "All right, Cal. I suppose it's only fair to let you retain a little of your masculinity. The very best champagne it is."

* * *

Ethan awoke slowly. For the first few delicious seconds, he'd forgotten he was ill. He smiled at the thought of seeing Sophie and wondered what the day might bring.

Then he realised his throat was agony and he felt as though he'd been hit by a train.

All at once, his memories returned. He had tonsillitis and he'd come home early from work. He and Sophie had eaten pizza and then he'd gone to sleep.

Ethan looked around the room. He reached for his glasses and looked again, but Sophie definitely wasn't there.

"Sophie?" he called, but it sounded more like a frog's mating call than his girlfriend's name.

He sat up slowly and wondered what to do.

Then he heard Sophie's voice. "Don't worry. I'll be two seconds. My boyfriend's a doctor so I'm sure he's got a first aid kit."

As it happened, Ethan did have a first aid kit, but it took his tired brain a while to work out why Sophie might want it.

"Got it!" said Sophie's voice, followed by the clatter of high heels.

Ethan smiled to himself. Obviously someone had hurt themselves outside the flat and Sophie hadn't thought about taking her shoes off. He wondered, not for the first time, if Sophie, Lily, Zoe and Mrs Beauchamp had two hundred shoes between them. Sophie had said it was probably more like two thousand, but he was almost sure she was joking.

Then finally something clicked in his brain.

Someone had injured themselves outside his flat. He really shouldn't be sitting here smiling.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Lily," said Cal. "I really, honestly, had no idea."

Lily gave him a suspicious look. "Really? It's exactly the kind of restaurant you would book!"

"Now, that's not fair," said Cal, trying to hide the fact that he was terrified that a) Lily was going to hit him and b) it was going to hurt. "You only went out with me once and it wasn't to a restaurant like this. So how could you know what I usually do?"

"What you usually do is eye up women whenever you see them!" said Lily. She didn't trouble to keep her voice down. "And what better place to eye up women than in a place where the waitresses are all topless!"

"I didn't know," said Cal in a hushed voice, uncomfortably aware that everyone was staring at him – and not for one of the reasons he liked to be stared at.

"How could you not know?" snapped Lily. "Apart from the fact that you're the one who booked the restaurant, if you'd been out with half as many women as you claim to, you'd probably have been to every restaurant ten times over!"

Cal thought about saying he didn't usually go out with a girl more than once or twice, so he didn't really need ten restaurants, but he had a feeling that would make matters worse. "It wasn't me who booked the restaurant," he said.

"Then who did?" said Lily.

Cal hesitated. "Look, does it matter who it was? I asked someone to book a nice restaurant for us and they messed up. And I'm really sorry. But one thing I know is that this was an accident. There probably are people at the ED who would do this as a joke and if it was one of them, I'd be perfectly happy to tell you who it was so you could give them those death glares you're giving me. But this person isn't like that. It could only ever have happened by accident."

Lily screwed her eyes shut. "Cal, please don't tell me you asked Lofty to book the restaurant. Please don't tell me you were that stupid!"

Cal stared at her in horror. "Are you psychic or something?"

"I knew it!" said Lily.

"No, you don't know it!" said Cal, realising he'd given himself away. "You don't know anything!"

Lily glared at him. "Thank you very much, Dr Knight."

"No, I mean, obviously you know lots of stuff," said Cal. "You're the most intelligent girl I've ever met… apart from Sophie, obviously… and that girl who could calculate the length of your penis when fully erect to the nearest hundredth of a millimetre just by running her hands down it when it's flaccid, except it didn't work with me because mine never really got flaccid around her… actually, on second thoughts, I think I'd really appreciate it if you forgot I mentioned that… you're the most intelligent girl I've ever met apart from Sophie (and it is possible I'm only saying that because I'm in love with her) and you know everything there is to know about medicine, but I'm just saying you don't know anything about… oh God, I can't remember what we were talking about now!"

He looked at Lily and was amazed to see she was actually laughing. "Cal, I'm going to forgive you on one condition."

Cal stared at her. "You're going to _what_?"

"Forgive you," said Lily. "On condition we leave this degrading restaurant at once and go to a restaurant of _my_ choosing."


	22. Chapter 22

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you found it funny! It isn't exactly the perfect date so far.

 **EDSidekick** , I'm glad you like Cal - he did embarrass himself quite a lot! Thank you for your review.

 **Gingersnaps2507** , thank you so much - that's really kind of you. I'm glad you like Ethan and Sophie together. Thank you for your review!

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. Cal's lucky that Lily is in such a forgiving mood - it doesn't happen often!

 **Tanith Panic** , Lofty will explain himself in a later chapter. I'm glad Cal is coming across as funny rather than objectionable. Thank you for your review!

* * *

Ethan carefully swung his legs over the side of the bed, noting with relief that he was fully-dressed. He put on his glasses, staggered out of the bedroom and made his way to the open front door.

When he reached it, he leaned on the doorframe as he looked out. Immediately, he saw what had happened. A young woman was lying on her back at the bottom of a flight of stairs. Sophie was kneeling beside her and searching through Ethan's first aid bag while another woman supported the casualty's head.

Ethan shuffled over to them. "Hi. My name's Ethan. I'm a doctor," he croaked. "Can I help at all?"

"It's okay, darling," said Sophie. "I've got everything under control. You just go back to bed."

Ethan held on to the banister for support. "Have you checked the level of response?"

"Yes, but I couldn't possibly repeat what the patient said," said Sophie. "Go back to bed, Ethan. You look like you're about to fall over."

Ethan knelt beside her. "You really need to make a primary survey before you start giving treatment."

"I've done it," said Sophie. "I've also made a secondary survey and called an ambulance. Though not in that order." She looked at him for a moment and rolled her eyes. "Okay. This is Holly, she's twenty-three and she has an open fracture of the right tibia following a fall down the stairs. She is experiencing pain and tenderness and in addition to a protruding bone, the lower leg is swollen and deformed. I can't tell if the fibula is also fractured, but I can see the outside of the lower leg is also swollen and again, the patient reports pain and tenderness. I'm going to treat is as a double fracture to be on the safe side. As the mechanism of injury was a twisting fall, I've asked her friend Jade to support her head and neck. I've bandaged the leg, but don't worry: I put padding either side of the wound so I could bandage it without putting pressure on the protruding end. Oh, and I stole some of your towels to put between Holly's legs and on the outside and as I'm not sure when the ambulance will arrive, I'm securing the injured leg to the uninjured one using some of your bandages. I'm monitoring vital signs and watching for signs of shock."

"Oh," said Ethan weakly. "Um… well done."

Sophie looked at him uncertainly. "Did I do something wrong? Shouldn't I be doing this? I thought that as this was first aider stuff, it would be okay. I didn't tell them I was a doctor or anything. I actually made a point of saying I wasn't."

"No, that's fine," said Ethan. "You're doing all the right things and managing very well. Are you sure you don't want me to do anything?"

"To be honest," said Jade, "Holly isn't keen on being touched by men. She has issues."

"Oh, right. I see," said Ethan understandingly. "I can be a bit funny about that, myself."

Sophie finished tying the bandages. "How are you doing, Holly? Would you still rather wait for the paramedics to give pain relief? I'm sure they won't be long."

"I can wait," whispered Holly.

"Okay," said Sophie. "You're doing very well and if you change your mind, all you have to do is tell me. Ethan, are you still here?"

"Um, yes," said Ethan, who was using the doorframe to keep himself upright.

"Then please go and lie down on the sofa if you won't go to bed and I'll call you if I need a doctor's advice," said Sophie. "I don't want two patients!"

"You're beautiful when you're telling me what to do," mumbled Ethan, and did as he was told.

* * *

Lily was smiling. She couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself so much. Here she was, sitting in a restaurant with Caleb Knight while he told her all about experiences working as a doctor – and she was having a good time.

If anyone had told her beforehand that Cal was going to spend the whole time talking about himself, she would have called off the date. Cal was a good doctor and had recently showed signs of being a good friend, but he was definitely on the arrogant side and never missed an opportunity to boast about how brilliant he was.

But now Lily was sitting, listening to him, and thinking to herself that Cal really was rather brilliant in his way.

"So there I was, telling her how amazing I was," said Cal. "And she was listening and her eyes were wide and I just knew she was lapping it up. She was so obviously into me, I decided to show off a bit. So instead of pushing her wheelchair over to the bed, I decided to pick it up and hold it above my head."

Lily was laughing now.

"And something in my back went," said Cal. "It actually pinged. I screamed and dropped the wheelchair and one of the wheels fell off. Then I kind of collapsed on the ground and… whimpered." He sighed. "The patient laughed so much, I thought she was going to end up back in Resus. Suffice to say I spent the evening in bed. Alone. With my ears still ringing from the telling-off I got. The words 'irresponsible', 'arrogant', 'unprofessional' and 'immature' might have been mentioned."

"What about 'complete and total idiot'?" said Lily.

"I think that was probably mentioned too."

Lily laughed so much, she had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Cal. I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh at someone's pain."

Cal smiled. "It's okay. I _was_ a complete and total idiot. I'm just glad that wasn't in Holby. Can you imagine what Mrs Beauchamp and Ethan would have said to me?"

"I think Mrs Beauchamp's words would have hurt you more than that wheelchair did!" said Lily. She had some more champagne. "Do you have any more stories like that?"

"Far too many!" said Cal. "There was the time where I woke up late on the first day at a new hospital, got ready in record time, arrived at the hospital with thirty seconds to spare… and discovered I was wearing my pyjama bottoms."

"What pyjamas?" said Lily.

"Um... Finding Nemo," said Cal.

Lily nearly spat out her champagne.

"Then there was the time I decided to impress one of the nurses," said Cal. "I gave her all my best lines and she was smiling, then I said 'duty calls' in what was probably a really stupid voice, and made a really dramatic exit into a cupboard. Then there might have been an occasion when I decided to slide down the banisters."

"Let me guess: you fell off at the bottom and cut your head open," said Lily.

Cal shook his head. "No. I landed perfectly on two feet in front of a whole waiting room full of patients who gave a big cheer. I was absolutely thrilled until I discovered I'd split my jeans."

"So what did you do?" giggled Lily.

Cal looked as though the memory still haunted him. "I had to wear scrub trousers for the rest of the shift, which might have been okay, but I couldn't find any that were long enough so they finished about halfway down my calves. Everyone spent the rest of the day telling me I had nice legs. Everyone except the pretty girls."

Lily looked at the horror and embarrassment on his face and decided he was much better-looking when he wasn't smirking. "Any more stories?"

"Well, some aren't suitable for the dinner table," said Cal. "Like having a cold in Resus. That was very embarrassing, but I don't want to put you off your dinner. Oh, and this isn't a hospital story, but on one of my dates with Sophie, we watched a really emotional film and I was just waiting for the excuse to put my arm around her. But she didn't cry and I… I did. A lot. I got a hug, but I didn't leave with my pride intact."

"Poor Cal," said Lily, feeling a bit more sympathy for him this time. He was a lot more sensitive than most people realised.

"I've actually cried a few times in the hospital," admitted Cal.

Lily nodded. "Like when you cried on my shoulder and Mrs Beauchamp caught you."

"Yes, that was embarrassing," said Cal with feeling. "Getting caught crying by Ethan is also never very far up my list of fun things to do. Oh, yeah, speaking of crying. A really pretty girl I was treating started crying and I knew I actually had tissues with me for once, so I decided to whip one out and present it to her. So I did and it seemed to go down quite well, but then the nurse kind of nudged me and nodded towards the floor and I realised I'd dropped a piece of paper that said, in really massive lettering: 'How to get the best out of your dildo'. It wasn't even mine, but nobody believed me."

Lily smiled. "I'm not sure I believe you either!"

"No, it definitely wasn't mine," said Cal. "Someone must have put it in there for a joke. Either that or they left it somewhere and I picked it up with something else."

"Yes, I'm _sure_ that's what happened," said Lily – and they both laughed together.


	23. Chapter 23

**Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I enjoy writing Lily as a softer character - she isn't a dragon lady inside, but it's not often she feels able to show it. I'm glad you liked Cal's embarrassing stories!

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't think Lily enjoys herself very often, so it was nice to write a chapter where she had fun.

 **Tato Potato** , I'm glad you can picture Cal's embarrassing stories - it was surprisingly difficult trying to think of moments that weren't too similar and were the kind of thing Cal might do. Thank you for your review.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , I'm glad you're still enjoying the story. Your storyline will happen the day after tomorrow, but I think the 'tomorrow' section will be fairly short as not much will happen during the day. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I'm so happy you liked Cal's embarrassing stories. I'm glad you like Cal and Lily's friendship too. They both deserve a bit of happiness!

 **EDSidekick** , that's a really interesting point - Ethan and Sophie are so in love, Cal and Lily probably feel closer to each other than they do to Ethan or Sophie. Almost the only time I ever saw Lily smile was when Cal was making an idiot of herself so I could imagine her enjoying embarrassing stories about him. Thank you for your review!

 _Sorry I'm bad at updating again. I was busy preparing for Christmas, then busy with Christmas... I hope things will be back to normal from now on._

* * *

Ethan had meant to stay awake until Sophie was back, just in case she needed anything, but he must have dropped off. He opened his eyes to discover Sophie sitting on the floor beside him, stroking his hair.

There were worse ways of waking up, he had to admit.

"How did it go?" said Ethan. "How's the patient?"

"Fine," said Sophie. "Well, not fine. But the ambulance arrived and Dixie phoned ahead to request a female doctor if possible. So it probably couldn't have gone any better – and it was good to get something right."

"Of course you got it right," murmured Ethan. "You're brilliant and beautiful and intelligent and…" His compliments were lost in coughs.

"Poor Ethan," said Sophie.

Ethan put his hand to his forehead. "I think, for once in my life, I can say with perfect truth that I'm hot."

" _Very_ hot," said Sophie. She kissed his cheek. "Come on, sweetheart. You'd better go back to bed."

Ethan wanted to argue, but he really did feel terrible. Sophie helped him into the bedroom and Ethan collapsed onto the bed.

Sophie tucked him in and removed his glasses. "There, Ethan. You just sleep for a while."

Ethan closed his eyes, only to open them again. "No. I should be entertaining you."

"I don't need to be entertained," said Sophie. "I just want to be with you. And if you're asleep, I won't have to think of anything clever to say in response to your puns."

Ethan gave a weak smile. "This tonsillitis is really starting to get my _throat_. I feel like I'm talking with someone else's voice and I don't like it."

Sophie laughed and stroked his arm through the bedclothes. "It's your _loan_ voice of dissent."

"I feel like I'm going to _croak_ ," said Ethan.

"Then I'm _sore_ afraid," said Sophie.

Ethan coughed. "I'm starting to have _tissues_ with this cough."

"Ethan, I really think you're too ill to _hoarse_ around."

Ethan sighed. "I don't know who wished _ill_ on me, but I just want to get better."

"I want that as _well_ ," said Sophie gently.

* * *

Lily smiled at Cal. "I never thought I'd say this, Cal, but thank you for a lovely evening."

Cal laughed. "No. Thank _you_. I actually really enjoyed telling you about all the times I messed up. I've never thought of telling a girl about stuff like that before."

"I enjoyed hearing about it," said Lily.

"Then we could always…" Cal paused. To his surprise, he actually felt nervous. "…we could always go out again tomorrow night."

Lily looked startled, but then she smiled shyly, lowering her eyes. "I'd like that."

"So would I," said Cal.

They smiled at one each other.

"Well… I'd better go," said Cal reluctantly. "I'll see you tomorrow. Or possibly later tonight if Ethan's not up to driving Sophie back here."

At the mention of her friend, Lily sighed and looked at the floor.

Cal took her hands in his. "Lily, don't worry. it'll be fine. Sophie loves you and she really isn't upset anymore."

"But what should I say to her?" said Lily.

"Just tell her you're sorry," said Cal. "I know it's not the nicest thing to have to do, but it often works."

Lily still looked worried, but her smile was grateful. "Thank you, Cal."

Cal squeezed her hands, then let go. "You're welcome, beautiful. Sorry. I mean Lily. Anyway, I... I should go." Cal hesitated, then kissed Lily on the cheek. "I hope you have beautiful dreams."

Lily blushed. "Thank you, Cal. I… hope you do too."

"If you're in my dreams, I will," said Cal softly.

Lily burst out laughing.

Cal thought, not for the first time tonight, what a beautiful laugh she had.

* * *

Lily chuckled softly to herself as she remembered some of Cal's stories. She would never have imagined in a million years that she would have had so much fun with Cal, but it had been great.

She hoped Cal wouldn't find it upsetting if he had to drive Sophie home. Cal had seemed very cheerful when they had dinner and the occasional mention of Sophie and Ethan didn't seem to upset him at all, but he was probably still at least a little bit heartbroken.

Lily didn't want Cal to be heartbroken. She wanted him to be happy.

She was roused from her thoughts by the sound of a car stopping outside her flat. Lily got up and hurried to the door, just in time to see Cal's tall figure emerge from the car. He leaned against the roof of the car for a moment, looking towards Lily's flat. Lily's hall was in darkness and she had no idea if she was visible or not, but their eyes seemed to meet.

A sound broke the spell: the sound of the passenger door opening. Sophie got out and she and Cal walked to the flat together. Cal was telling Sophie in a low voice that she mustn't worry and everything would be okay.

Lily looked at Sophie for a moment and then turned away, guilt and fear warring inside her. Guilt that she'd upset her friend. Fear that she might not be her friend anymore.

"Hey, Lily," said Cal.

Sophie's voice was anxious. "Oh, were you watching out for me? I'm sorry, Lily: did I tell you I'd be earlier?"

 _And now she's afraid of me_ , Lily thought with another stab of pain. _I made her afraid of me._ "Of... of course not," she sad. "You aren't late at all. Don't worry, Sophie. I was just… admiring the beauty of the night."

Cal smirked. "Thank you!"

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Cal, in this case, I think the k in 'night' is not so much silent as non-existent."

"You know, that's actually not the first time I've made a mistake like that!" said Cal. He smiled at Lily. "But I'll save that story for dinner tomorrow."

Sophie stared at Lily in delight. "You're going to have dinner with Cal again? He didn't tell me that!"

"Lily doesn't like it when I boast," said Cal.

Lily wasn't sure what was more touching. The fact he'd noticed and considered her feelings or the fact he'd resisted the urge to boast even behind her back.

"Well, if I don't see you before tomorrow, Cal, I hope you have a brilliant time," said Sophie.

"Thanks," said Cal, smiling.

"And you'll look after Ethan for me?"

Cal nodded. "Of course. It's only fair after all the time he's spent looking after me! And speaking of Nibbles, I'd better get back to him." He gave both girls a smacking kiss on the cheek. "Lily, I'll see you tomorrow. Sophie, I hope I'll see you too."

He ran back down the path to his car. Lily and Sophie watched silently as he got into it and drove away. Then, slowly, they turned to face one another.

Lily didn't think she could sense any anger from Sophie, but the air crackled with tension.

"Shall we sit down?" said Lily.

Sophie nodded. Without speaking, they sat side by side on the sofa. Sophie avoided Lily's eyes and Lily could see the other girl was as worried as she was feeling.

Lily took a breath and broke the silence. "Sophie, I'm sorry I shouted at you. It was unprofessional and aggressive."

"No, you were right to shout at me," said Sophie. "I'm sorry I overstepped my boundaries and tried to give a diagnosis I wasn't qualified to give. I got overexcited, but that's not acceptable and I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."

"You only got overexcited because you have a deep interest in medicine," said Lily. "Overexcitement is not unnatural, but it can be controlled and I believe you will learn to control it. But the situation only occurred because I left you alone with a patient. That was unacceptable and I am sorry."

"You couldn't have known I couldn't be trusted to be left alone for five minutes," said Sophie. "It was my fault."

Lily shook her head. "No. I am your mentor and I should have done my job properly. It was my fault. I am the professional. There is no room and no excuse for errors. You haven't completed your training and it's natural for you to make mistakes. It's important for me to respond in a way that helps you." Her voice dropped almost to a whisper. "You are also my friend. My best friend. Perhaps my only friend. I don't want to lose you."

"You haven't," said Sophie softly. "You won't. You're my best friend too, Lily. You've been wonderful and I'm so looking forward to your day off so we can spend the whole day together."

"I'm looking forward to it too," said Lily.


	24. Chapter 24

**CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the update! I hope you'll enjoy this one too.

 **Tanith Panic** , I didn't think Ethan would be quite on top form with puns so they needed to be at least a little bit creaky! Though perhaps they're all terrible! I don't usually like conceited men, but Cal gets away with it. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , you are completely right about Ethan and Sophie - their relationship is not moving forward at all, which makes them less interesting. I'll see what I can do about that! Thank you for pointing this out and for your review. I really appreciate it.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. Sophie and Lily were at odds for almost all of Triangle, so I really wanted them to be able to resolve misunderstandings now they're friends. And Cal is finally learning how to treat a woman - about time!

 **CBloom2** , Ethan will suffer for a few more chapters yet - but isn't that what we secretly like? Though I do have a couple of reasons for making him ill - for once, I didn't infect him for the fun of it! Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , I did have a good Christmas, thank you - I hope you, Beckyboogle and the rest of your family did too. Thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

* * *

Cal looked down at Ethan in concern. "So you're going to take the day off work, then take Sophie to the opera in the evening?"

"That's right," croaked Ethan.

Cal picked up the thermometer from the bedside table and put it in Ethan's ear.

"Ouch!" said Ethan reproachfully.

The thermometer beeped and Cal looked at it. "39.5. That doesn't surprise me. You're really not yourself if you're planning on taking the day off work and then going on a date in the evening."

Ethan rolled over and buried his face in the pillow. "Who else would I be apart from myself?"

"Well, you're behaving more like _me_!" said Cal. He sat on the bed and patted Ethan's shoulder. "I think taking the day off work is very sensible, but I really don't think you should go out tonight."

"I don't want Sophie to miss it," whispered Ethan.

Cal rubbed his shoulder. "Maybe she could go with someone else instead."

Ethan launched himself out from under the bedclothes. "Don't even think about it, Caleb!"

"Think about what?" said Cal, confused.

Ethan grabbed a paracetamol from beside his bed and gulped it down with a glass of water. "You are _not_ going to the opera with my girlfriend."

"Oh!" Cal laughed.

"It's not funny!" said Ethan, the words squeaking out from between his sore tonsils.

"No. No, of course not," said Cal. He picked up a throat lozenge and started to take the wrapper off.

"That's mine!" said Ethan crossly.

Cal tried not to smile at the sight of Ethan almost throwing a tantrum. He briefly considered videoing it on his phone, but he was a bit worried Ethan might try to kill him. "I was just unwrapping it for you, Nibbles. There you are."

Ethan glared at him but put it in his mouth anyway.

"You're welcome," said Cal.

Ethan looked ready to scream at him, but he started coughing instead.

Cal patted his back and relented. "I didn't mean _I_ should go with Sophie. I thought she could go with Lily. A nice bit of girl-bondage."

"Bon _ding_!" Ethan managed to say between coughs.

Cal smiled. "That's what I said." Then he slapped his hand to his forehead. "No, of course she can't go with Sophie! I'm an idiot."

"I know," said Ethan.

"Lily can't go with Sophie tomorrow night because Lily's having dinner with me," said Cal, unable to stop himself from smiling as he remembered how much fun last night had been. "But maybe Robyn could go with Sophie. I think they get on okay."

Ethan didn't seem that interested anymore. He'd stopped coughing now, but his face was red and his eyes were watering. He let his head fall onto Cal's shoulder. "Why now? Why not last week or next week? Why do I have to get ill when Sophie's here?"

"Oh, Nibbles." Cal put his arms around him, seeing him not as a competent senior registrar who didn't usually let anyone hug him unless they were Sophie, but his poorly little brother who was being deprived of a special treat he'd looked forward to for ages. "It's not fair, is it, mate? It's not fair at all."

* * *

"So, what is your plan for today?" asked Lily brightly. "Will you be spending the day with Ethan? I think it's very unlikely he's going to work."

Sophie didn't look quite as enthusiastic as Lily might have expected. "I suppose so. There isn't much else I can do besides going shopping and I want to save the shops for when I go with you."

Lily looked at her for a moment. She wasn't really that great at reading people and the few skills in that area she did possess were used mainly for diagnosing physical discomfort – or lack of it – in a patient. But she was almost sure that Sophie wasn't happy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," said Sophie. "I love Ethan. We're very happy."

"I would like to believe you," said Lily, "and perhaps I should. But it sounds like you're trying to convince yourself as well as me."

Sophie sighed and looked at the floor. "I suppose this week with Ethan isn't turning out quite as I expected."

"Do you mean his illness?" said Lily, surprised. "But that's not his fault. That is bad luck."

"I don't really mean that he's ill," said Sophie. "That is bad luck and I love looking after him. It does make things more difficult, but even before he got ill, Ethan wasn't…" Her voice trailed away.

"Ethan wasn't what?" asked Lily.

Sophie hesitated. "I'm not sure you want to know."

Lily started to worry that Sophie was right, but she was determined to be a supportive friend. If Sophie wanted to tell her that Ethan was deficient in the bedroom department, Lily could cope with that. It was a perfectly normal conversation for two women to have and if the result was that Lily couldn't look at Ethan without thinking about what he was like in bed, then that was Lily's problem. "Sophie, I am your friend and I am a doctor. There is nothing you can't tell me and probably nothing I haven't heard before from a patient."

"But I'm not your patient," pointed out Sophie.

"No, but we are friends, and I believe female friends discuss, um, intimate matters all the time," said Lily, holding her head high and hoping she wouldn't blush.

"If only there was an intimate matter to discuss!" said Sophie with feeling.

Lily told herself firmly she was not at all uncomfortable with this piece of information. On the contrary, it was much better than the alternative. "So you and Ethan haven't…"

"Oh, yes, we have," said Sophie. "Once. In my room at university."

"Once," repeated Lily, aware that she was indulging a vain hope that someone would phone from work to say she'd misremembered the time of her shift and she was supposed to be at the hospital half an hour ago.

Unfortunately, Lily never misremembered the times of her shifts.

"Well, technically three times," said Sophie. "But it was kind of in the same session. Twice in the evening and then again in the morning when Ethan was too sleepy to get embarrassed about it."

"Right." Lily's plan not to blush had failed. "And it was not… enjoyable?"

"Oh, no: it was lovely!" said Sophie.

Lily _really_ hoped she wasn't going to go into details. "Then what is the problem?"

"It hasn't happened since then," said Sophie. "I've dropped loads of hints all over the place – and it's not just hints I've dropped either."

 _Do not think about what she means, Lily. Do NOT think about it._

"But either he doesn't get the hint or he thinks of some reason why we can't," said Sophie. "We can't do it in your flat because it's someone else's property."

Lily just about managed not to say she was glad to hear it.

"And we can't do it at Ethan's because it's inconsiderate towards Cal," went on Sophie.

"I'm sure Cal has been... inconsiderate towards Ethan on numerous occasions," said Lily.

Sophie nodded. "Yes, I'm sure he has. But Ethan says Cal still loves me."

For some reason, this idea really bothered Lily. But of course, Cal was her friend and she didn't want him to be heartbroken and unhappy. "Yes. Yes, perhaps he does."

"And obviously, nothing can happen in a public place," said Sophie.

Lily frowned. "But what about when you went away on that walking holiday?"

Sophie sighed. "I let Ethan book the rooms. I thought he'd know what he was doing. But he booked is into same-sex dormitories."

"I see," said Lily. She wasn't sure if Ethan had done this accidentally or out of some ridiculous notion that this was the gentlemanly thing to do, but Lily knew she'd have been very annoyed if… if _someone_ had asked her to go away with him for a week and made it impossible for them to share a room.

"So I thought maybe, when I came to Holby, he might book a hotel or something," said Sophie. "Just for one night, or even for the afternoon. But then he got ill. It's not his fault, but it does mean we still can't be together. So I'm a bit frustrated."

Lily had to look away.

"Oh, no: not in _that_ way," said Sophie. "I didn't mean _that_." She paused. "But I suppose I am in that way too, now I think about it."

"Yes. Well. I can… imagine," said Lily. "Not that I'm actually… imagining."

"So, whenever I get near being alone with Ethan, something always comes up. Or rather, it doesn't." Sophie looked unhappy. "Lily, what am I going to do? I love Ethan so much, but maybe he just doesn't fancy me."

Lily shook her head firmly. "No, Sophie. He definitely fancies you. He loves you. He's just shy and old-fashioned and he doesn't want to push you into anything."

"Has he told you that?" said Sophie doubtfully.

"No," said Lily. "But I've seen the way he looks at you and heard the way he talks about you."

Sophie frowned. "How does he talk about me? Actually, do I want to know how he talks about me?"

"Like you're a new piece of medical research he's discovered all by himself," said Lily. "Something special and beautiful and life-enhancing."

"How... romantic," said Sophie, as though she wasn't completely sure that was true.

"I have always wanted a man to talk about me in that way," said Lily.


	25. Chapter 25

**Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review. One of the reasons I love writing about Cal is because he's funny. I can put him into embarrassing situations I could never put Ethan into because it would be too mean.

 **EDSidekick** , don't worry. I should have been clearer too. I didn't think you disliked Ethan and Sophie, but you did help me to realise something about the story so I'm really grateful for that. A good review is a lovely feeling, but they also give me great ideas. Ethan probably would be horrified, but will anyone tell him? I'm glad you liked the Cal and Ethan scene. I think Cal often teases Ethan because he can't bring himself to show how much he cares so he's interacting with him in the only way he knows. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I can't see Robyn as an opera fan either, but I can see her as the kind of girl who would put up with anything in order to make her friend happy. Thank you for your review - I hope you enjoy Lofty in this chapter!

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you like Lily and Sophie's friendship - I really want it to be as strong as possible when you-know-what happens!

 **ETWentHome** , teasing Ethan is just too irresistible for Cal! But I like to think there is some affection in it. I think Sophie might be having some of the same problems with Ethan as Honey did - but Sophie is a different kind of person from Honey. Thank you for your review!

* * *

Cal walked straight up to Lofty and looked at him meaningfully. "We need to talk."

Max, who was standing near Lofty, made a sad face. "Oh, mate, don't tell me it's over between you two!"

"It might well be if he doesn't have a good explanation," said Cal.

Lofty squirmed visibly. Then he looked at Max, who was suddenly much more interested in his sweeping than he'd ever been before. A sure sign that he was listening for all he was worth.

"Could we go somewhere private?" said Cal. Not that he cared about embarrassing Lofty – he deserved it after what he'd done - but he didn't want to do anything that might make Lily uncomfortable.

Lofty hesitated, his gaze veering away from Cal's, but then he nodded. They started walking, only to stop when Max called Cal's name. He was running after them, wielding his broom in what could only be called a dangerous fashion.

"Watch what you're doing with that thing, mate!" said Cal, moving himself and Lofty out of the way.

Max put his broom on the floor and sheepishly faced Cal. "Look, if this is about the restaurant, it's not Lofty's fault, okay?"

A suspicion began to grow in Cal's mind. "Who's fault was it then?"

"Max, it's okay," said Lofty. "It's not your fault. I didn't have to let you do it."

Cal looked at Lofty in exasperation. "Don't tell me you let this idiot book it!"

"It's good to delegate sometimes," said Max.

"Yeah, but not to you!" said Cal. "You're lucky Lily saw the funny side."

Both Lofty and Max stared at him.

"Lily saw the _what_?" said Max.

"You're not saying she actually… you know, _laughed_?" said Lofty.

"Lily's actually got a great sense of humour," said Cal defensively. "You've just got to know what amuses her."

"So, being taken to topless restaurants amuses her," said Max. "If it wasn't for Zoe, I'd definitely be interested."

Cal was very glad Max had Zoe.

For Lily's sake, obviously.

"Okay, well, we all know you're an idiot," said Cal dismissively. He swung to face Lofty. "So why did you let Max book the restaurant? What were you thinking?"

"He was thinking that you don't say no to Mrs Beauchamp and come out alive, and he didn't want to die just yet," said Max.

Cal frowned. "What does Mrs Beauchamp have to do with anything?"

"Lofty was sitting at one of the computers; I asked what he was doing and he said he was booking a restaurant for you and Lily," explained Max. "Then Mrs Beauchamp told Lofty he was needed in Resus. He couldn't really say no, so I went ahead and booked a restaurant."

Cal kind of wanted to kill them both, but he could see it wasn't really Lofty's fault. He couldn't have known he'd be called away from the computer, leaving Max free to do whatever he wanted. "Well, I suppose there was no harm done. Lily and I had a good time."

"Yeah?" said Max. "So maybe I even did you a favour?"

"I wouldn't go quite that far," said Cal, glaring at him.

"Are you seeing Lily again?" asked Lofty.

Cal smiled. He hoped he wasn't looking too smug. Lily definitely wouldn't like that and might call the date off if she saw him.

If it was a date. Cal still wasn't sure. "We're going out again tonight, actually."

"Fair play!" Max raised his hand for Cal to high-five him. Cal did it, but absent-mindedly.

Lofty was looking worried. "Cal, that's great news. It really is. But are you sure you're not on the rebound from Sophie?"

"I don't think so," said Cal.

He wasn't sure about that. It probably wasn't possible to get over Sophie that quickly. But that wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with his mates.

He was confused. He still didn't like seeing Ethan and Sophie together. It still made him feel sad and jealous.

But that didn't change the fact that Cal really enjoyed Lily's company.

* * *

"No," said Connie with finality.

"No?" said Lily. That was all she was getting? _No?_

"Will that be all, Dr Chao?" said Connie. "I am rather busy."

Lily hesitated. It was perfectly clear that Connie wanted her to leave. She'd made her request and it had been denied. Connie clearly thought no explanation was necessary. But Lily felt she deserved a little more than a one-word answer. "I think it would be really good for Sophie to do some more work experience here. We work well together."

"That wasn't the impression I got," said Connie. "The first time you and Sophie worked together, you nearly drove her out of the department and she was only able to complete the placement because Dr Hardy stepped in."

"Sophie and I are friends now," said Lily, a bit defensively. "We understand each other better."

"Yet you worked together yesterday and what happened?" said Connie. "There was another issue between you and Sophie. This time, Dr Hardy was unable to step in due to illness… and Sophie left the department. You'll forgive me, Dr Chao, but however good your friendship with Sophie might be, I really can't say you have much of a working relationship."

"I.. I'm sure we could improve it," said Lily.

Connie nodded. "I'm quite sure you could. However, this is a working hospital, Lily. If Sophie were working here and you were her mentor, it would be different. She wouldn't be with you all the time so you would be able to have a break from each other. Sophie would be a qualified doctor, a member of our team, and it will be part of her job to form a working relationship with everyone. But a student on work experience needs to be under constant supervision by the staff member who's been assigned to them - and that puts the staff member under tremendous pressure."

"Dr Hardy could do it, though," said Lily, with a hint of resentment.

"Dr Hardy worked with Sophie very well – but I don't think he'd have been nearly as successful with the other two students who were here with Sophie last time. I think Ashley would have teased him and made him very uncomfortable and Amber would have scared him to death."

Lily gave a small smile as she acknowledged the truth of this. "But Dr Hardy didn't really get on with either of the other students. I get on with Sophie."

"A working relationship isn't the same thing as a friendship," said Connie. "In the workplace, you relate to people in different ways. There are people I work well with but can't stand personally and people I really like who are impossible to work with. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really must…" Connie stopped, a thoughtful expression on her face. "What do you think about Dr Knight?"

"Dr Knight?" said Lily. She felt hot and embarrassed. "What about Dr Knight?"

"Does he get on well with Sophie? Do you think they would work well together?"

"Oh, no!" Lily said at once. "They don't get on well at all.I don't think they could work together."

Connie raised her eyebrows. "That's a very decisive answer, Dr Chao."

"I… I…" Lily floundered. But only for a moment. "Dr Knight is in love with Sophie. I think he might be starting to get over her, but I don't believe that kind of emotion is a good foundation on which to build a working relationship."

Connie looked at Lily for a moment. Then she nodded. "You could be right, Dr Chao. Please convey my apologies to Sophie and if she would like to make a formal request for work experience in the future when Dr Hardy has recovered, I'm sure we would be happy to accommodate her if we possibly can."

Lily tried again. "I believe I can work with Sophie effectively."

"Yes, well: the evidence suggests otherwise, Dr Chao." Connie dismissed her with a nod, only to call Lily back. "Lily, being a mentor can be very rewarding, but it isn't easy and it isn't something that suits everyone. I think it's admirable that you want to use your skills and knowledge to help others, but ultimately, Lily, you are here to be a doctor, and that is a job in which you excel. Not being a mentor won't in any way make you less of a doctor. Don't forget that."


	26. Chapter 26

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review - I'm pleased you like the relationship between Cal and Lily. I'm enjoying writing it more than I thought I would.

 **Tanith Panic** , Lofty was daft to tell Max, but he couldn't have known he'd be called away. I couldn't let it be completely his fault! I can't see Lofty playing a trick like that.

 **Gemma price xxox** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you like this story. I have started writing a story called Keep Fighting which is all about last Saturday's episode. I hope you find it and enjoy it!

 **CasualtyFanForever** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the update. There are more problems for Lily coming up!

 **GlitterGirl12** , Lily is very serious at work, but weird as it sounds, we seem to know her a lot better than her colleagues do! And she definitely has a sense of humour. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , I agree it's not necessarily a good time for Cal to jump in to something - including Lily's bed! I think Sophie has had enough mentoring disasters without involving Cal! Thank you for your review.

* * *

Cal looked up and smiled as Lily entered the staff room. She did look rather lovely in her white sleeveless top and black skirt and as for her legs, it sometimes surprised Cal that he hadn't had a cardiac arrest yet.

"Dr Knight. I need a second opinion," said Lily abruptly.

"Sure," said Cal. "No problem. I'd be happy to, Dr Chao." He smiled and put down his half-full mug of tea. "I'll come now."

"No, you don't have to." Lily sounded almost nervous. "You can finish your tea first."

"No, it's fine. it's gone cold anyway," said Cal untruthfully and emptied it down the sink.

As soon as he'd done it, he wondered why. He was enjoying that cup of tea and much as he loved his job, he valued his breaks too.

He walked over to Lily and smiled down at her.

She smiled shyly back, her dark eyes wide.

Cal felt a surge of attraction. It would be so easy to kiss her…

…and then so difficult to deal with the aftermath.

Lily was attractive – very attractive – but Cal was still getting over Sophie. It would be unfair on Lily to pursue any kind of relationship with her now – if she wanted one, which Cal doubted.

Hold on. Relationship? Where had that thought come from? How did he get from kissing to relationship? In Cal's experience, kissing led to bed.

No, he definitely didn't want to think about bed. Not now. The only bed that interested Cal was the one Lily's patient was lying on.

Besides, Cal reminded himself, this was Lily. A kiss wasn't guaranteed to lead anywhere except a bruised ego. And maybe a few other bruises too, if Lily found his advances particularly repulsive.

Lily's eyes grew even wider. "Cal? Is there something wrong?" Her hand fluttered self-consciously to her mouth. "Do I have something on my face?"

 _Apart from a beautiful, luscious, kissable… stop it, Caleb!_

"Sorry, I was miles away," said Cal. "I was thinking about my… FCEM."

Lily looked slightly disappointed.

At least, Cal thought she looked disappointed, but he decided it was probably his imagination.

"If this is a bad time, Cal…"

"No. Of course it isn't," said Cal. "Um… take me to your patient."

Lily frowned slightly.

"Sorry," said Cal. "I mean, take me to your patient, _please_."

Lily's beautiful, luscious, kissable lips twitched slightly. A soft giggle escaped. "Follow me, Dr Knight."

"Right behind you, Dr Chao."

Cal discovered (not for the first time) that being behind Lily was quite fun. She looked just as good from the back as she did from the front. But after a few seconds spent admiring the view, he realised Lily might not like it if he looked at her like that. He lifted his chin and fixed his eyes on a spot above Lily's head.

When he felt his foot connect with something, he tried to stop, but his momentum carried him forward into something that was just the right height to catch him somewhere rather personal.

Cal cried out in pain and collapsed to the floor.

"Cal!" Lily ran to his side and crouched down, her hand on his shoulder. "Cal, are you okay? Where does it hurt?"

Cal looked at her, blinking against tears of pain. "I'm really not sure you want me to tell you."

"Oh!" Lily moved sharply away from him, her cheeks tinged with pink, and overbalanced backwards onto her delectable rear end.

Her legs parted. Her skirt rode up.

Cal shut his eyes and put his hand over them for good measure. He felt proud of himself even as he questioned his sanity. Cal _never_ looked away. Not unless it was a patient.

"I… I… I will go and find a male nurse," said Lily, sounding flustered.

"No…. no, it's easing a bit now." Cal kept his eyes closed. "Just give me a minute." He wanted to give Lily a minute too. He wasn't completely sure why.

"Dr Chao. Dr Knight. What exactly is going on here?"

Cal opened his eyes to discover Connie giving him a very suspicious look.

Cal felt that was unfair. Just because a guy used to have a slightly less than good reputation…

"I-I asked Dr Knight for a second opinion," said Lily, who was now sitting in a more dignified position. "I was taking him to the cubicle. He walked into a trolley. It should not have been left here and it was not properly secured. It is not surprising it has caused an accident."

"It certainly should not have been left here," said Connie, "but I'm a bit surprised Dr Knight didn't see it. Of course, short-sightedness does run in the family."

She paused and looked at Cal. The mental discomfort he felt almost rivalled the pain.

"But perhaps he was looking at something else, rather than where he was going. Am I right, Dr Knight?" Connie looked at Cal, her eyebrows raised.

Cal pouted. That was definitely unfair! That was absolutely, completely unfair. And there was no way he could prove it. "No. You're not right."

"Dr Knight, do you need medical treatment?" said Connie.

Cal shook his head mutely.

"Then get back to work," said Connie. "I'll come and see your patient, Dr Chao. We wouldn't want Dr Knight's poor eyesight to lead to an incorrect diagnosis, would we?"

Cal rolled his eyes, but not until Connie had turned her back.

"And stop rolling your eyes," said Connie. "You're not a teenager and unlike your brother, you certainly don't look like one."

"Neither do you!" said Cal. But only very, very quietly and only when she'd been out of sight for more than thirty seconds.

* * *

Cal spent most of the morning limping slightly, feeling horrible embarrassed, and spending just a bit more time than he wanted to imagining what it would be like if he hadn't looked away from Lily at the crucial moment.

But then he got a text and when he saw who it was from, he felt a lot better.

He hadn't had a text from Sophie for ages. He knew it probably wasn't a text to say she'd made a terrible mistake and she wanted Cal back, but it was still nice to hear from her. It had been a bit awkward offering to give her a lift back to Lily's last night and he'd put some music on to make her feel she didn't have to talk to him if she'd rather not, but it hadn't been that uncomfortable at all.

Instead of spending the time trying very consciously _not_ mentally undressing Sophie, he'd really enjoyed talking to her. Sophie had said a lot about how wonderful Lily was and Cal had agreed with her.

Just to be polite, of course.

Not that he didn't like Lily.

Not that he liked her as in _liking_ her.

Cal realised he was thinking about Lily again and quickly opened Sophie's text.

 _Cal, are you SURE Ethan ought to be at work? x_

Panic seized Cal. He'd known Ethan was stupid enough to try going to the opera when he was barely well enough to stand up (not that you did stand up at the opera, to Cal's knowledge, but that wasn't the point). It hadn't occurred to him that he might try going to work too.

Cal berated himself for his stupidity (which was, for once, secondary to Ethan's stupidity, but even so). Ethan didn't like taking days off work. He felt as though he was letting his colleagues down, particularly when he did it at short notice. It was just like him to tell Cal he wasn't going to work, then go sneaking off to the hospital behind Cal's back.

Not that he'd ever known Ethan to do this before, but he was fairly sure it was just like Ethan, and Sophie's text proved it.

Cal had a couple of patients who were a bit closer to breaching than he'd like them to be, but they weren't his little brother.

He made a hurried search of the hospital, opening every cubicle curtain just a fraction to see if his stupid, dedicated brother was in there, He got shouted at by Rita and Louise and he got several interesting eyefuls, some definitely more to his tastes than others, but he couldn't find Ethan.

Then he had a really horrible thought. Connie hadn't been stupid enough to let him work in Resus, had she?

He charged down the corridors and burst through the doors.

"Mrs Beauchamp, have you seen Ethan?"

Connie glared at him. "No, Dr Knight, and I don't want to see him until he's better. I also don't want to see you until you've learned how to behave in an emergency department. Out."

"But I think he might have sneaked into work behind my back and tried to treat people!" said Cal.

"What are you still doing here? Get out." Connie pointed to the door. "I only wish your brother _was_ here. You obviously need someone to keep an eye on you."


	27. Chapter 27

**Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you've changed your mind about Lily. You'll find out where Ethan is soon! I shouldn't be so mean to Cal, but he's so sweet when he gets himself into trouble.

 **CBloom2** , I know just what you mean! It's always so interesting when something happens to them. I like having my emotions stirred up. I hope you're not disappointed with what's happened to Ethan. Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked Cal's distraction over Lily - maybe he's getting over Sophie at last?

 **ETWentHome** , I'm glad you laughed at Cal's misfortune - I can't laugh at what's happening to him in the series, but there is something endearing about Cal getting into awkward situations. Thank you for your review!

* * *

Lily had known as soon as she saw Violet Whitman that she was a Time Waster with a capital T.

And a capital W too.

She'd told Violet so yesterday and she was convinced she'd left her with sufficient fleas in her ears to ensure that her next medical visit would be to the vet.

Yet here she was, just one day later, sitting in Lily's cubicle.

"Oh, it's you!" said Violet, looking as dismayed as any time waster would be when faced with the same doctor for the second time in two days.

"My thoughts exactly," said Lily. "As I have already given you a recent examination, I see nothing to be gain by doing the same. Therefore you can consider yourself examined – and discharged."

"No, wait: I've come for a second opinion," Violet told Lily. "Would it be possible to see another doctor, please? And… well… you didn't really _examine_ me. You just talked to me."

Lily stared at her in amazement. "You can't just walk in here and demand to see a different doctor every day!"

"I'm not," said Violet. "I've had more symptoms today. My tongue went numb. My whole mouth felt really peculiar and I still feel dizzy and strange. I feel like I'm about to fall over."

"You don't look as though you're about to fall over," said Lily severely.

"But I still feel like it. Even though I'm sitting down, I feel like I'm about to fall." Violet's voice shook. "And my headache hasn't gone. Please. You've got to believe me. I don't understand why you don't."

Lily folded her arms. "Very well. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you mean every word you're saying. I will pay you the compliment of not calling you a time-waster. Instead, I will call you a hypochondriac. Either way, there is nothing the ED can do for you, so I'm asking you to leave."

"Fine!" said Violet. "I'll book myself back in. I'll wait in the waiting room. I'll see another doctor."

"No, you will not," said Lily with finality. "You will be removed by security and the same will happen if you attempt to return." She walked to the door of the cubicle. "Security, please." She waited by the curtain, not looking at Violet, until the security men arrived. "Please escort this young person from the hospital. If she makes any attempt to return, you must inform the police."

Violet gasped. "The police?"

"The police," said Lily. "Goodbye, Miss Whitman."

* * *

Ethan was trying to convince himself he was definitely feeling much better.

It was true that he hadn't done anything much today, but that was only sensible. He was saving his energy for tonight with Sophie.

For the opera with Sophie, that was. Not… other stuff.

He'd quite enjoyed the other stuff when they'd tried it. More than quite enjoyed. And he'd actually been hoping it might happen again at some point, but he just wasn't getting any of the signals.

It had been easy last time because Sophie had taken her clothes off and even Ethan could pick up a signal like that. He'd been really pleased he'd had a girlfriend who made it so obvious. He thought that would make things a lot easier for him. But on every other occasion when he'd seen her, she'd kept her clothes on, so Ethan had assumed she hadn't had as nice a time as he had and she didn't want it to happen again.

It was disappointing, of course, but Ethan knew he'd rather be without sex than without Sophie. From what he'd accidentally heard from Cal and his 'friends', as well as from his own limited experience, you couldn't get a proper conversation going during sex. And Ethan did like a good conversation.

Not that anything could happen now, even if Sophie did start giving him signals. Ethan felt guilty enough about all the times he'd kissed her. It would be awful if she went back to university next week and was ill.

That was why he'd lied to her. He'd told her he was going to work today, so unfortunately he wouldn't be able to accept her kind offer to come round and look after him.

He'd also told Sophie that Cal had checked him over and fully agreed with Ethan's plan for the day. Of course, Cal had only heard the version of Ethan staying in bed and resting, but there was no need to mention that.

He was supposed to be picking Sophie up from Lily's house straight after his shift ended, but if he got there five minutes before his shift ended, he'd get there before Lily. Then all he'd have to do was to say he'd finished early.

It was another lie, but it was better than letting Sophie spend the whole day inhaling his germs.

* * *

Cal stood beside the reception desk, his hands in his hair. He couldn't find Ethan anywhere and everyone he'd spoken to seemed convinced he wasn't at work. All he could think of was that Ethan had had some kind of accident on the way. He phoned St James' to ask if anyone answering to Ethan's name or description had been brought into the hospital, but the answer was no.

"Cal, are you okay?" asked Noel, giving him a worried look.

"I can't find Ethan!" said Cal.

"Have you looked behind the fridge? He'd probably fit."

Cal ignored this. "Sophie said he was coming to work. I suppose he might have changed his mind, but you'd expect him to tell Sophie."

Noel looked like he was trying his best to be helpful this time. "Have you checked his car?"

Cal hadn't thought of that. Ethan's car was at the ED so he couldn't have driven it to work, but perhaps he'd arrived at the hospital and wanted somewhere he could rest without making his colleagues worry. His car was the obvious place. "Thanks, mate," he said, and hurried out of the hospital.

He stopped when he saw a girl lying on the ground just outside the entrance.

* * *

Lily was surprised when she got a text in working hours. She didn't usually leave her phone on. She had to be focused and phones were s distraction. But she must have forgotten.

She got her phone out of her pocket, intending to switch it off and put it into her locker, but she was curious about who had texted her because not many people did unless it was for a work reason.

The text was from Sophie.

 _Lily, I'm really worried about Ethan. He's not answering his texts x_

Although it wasn't urgent, Lily didn't want her friend to worry so she made a brief reply. _Try not to worry. He's probably asleep x_

Another text came on her way to the staff room. _But he said he was going to work x_

Lily looked at the text in confusion. Ethan might have said that, but there was absolutely no way he was at work. She'd have seen him. She phoned Sophie and told her so.

"But then why would he say he's going to work?" said Sophie. "Why would he lie to me?"

"I don't know," said Lily, with deep concern.

* * *

Cal ran back into the ED and shouted for help. In moments, he was joined by Connie, a few nurses and Max, who was pushing a trolley.

He knelt beside the girl, seeing with relief that she was coming round. "Hey, I'm Dr Knight, but you can call me Cal. Cal you tell me what happened?"

"I don't know!" said the girl, and burst into tears.

"It's okay," said Cal, his hand on her arm. "I'm sure we can work that out. Can you tell me your name?"

"Violet."

"Okay, Violet. Stay nice and still for me while I check you over, then my friends here will help me lift you onto the trolley. Okay?"

Violet looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears. "You don't think I'm making it up?"

"Of course I don't think that," said Cal. "Why would I think that?"

The tears spilled down Violet's cheeks. "The other doctor did."

* * *

Lily could hardly bear the sadness in Sophie's voice.

"Do you think there's another girl?" she asked Lily tremulously.

"No, I'm sure there's not!" said Lily firmly. If Sophie was still with Cal, she wouldn't have been able to answer that question with nearly as much certainty, but this was _Ethan_.

"So what am I going to do?" said Sophie. "Should I go round there and see him? Would he even be there?"

"I think that asking Ethan would be the best way to get answers," said Lily.

Sophie made a sound like a sob. "I don't know if I want to know the answer. But if I don't ask him, I'll always be wondering."

* * *

Cal listened in horror as Violet told the story of her dealings with Dr Chao. He didn't blame Lily – doctors did sometimes make mistakes – but he knew she'd feel awful when she found out.

Cal considered not telling her, but Connie was with them in Resus and had heard the whole story.

"And Dr Chao ran no tests?" said Connie.

"She took my blood pressure and pulse," said Violet. "She said my blood pressure was a bit high and my pulse was fine."

"So she didn't take any bloods or send you for any kind of scan?" said Connie.

Violet shook her head. "She thought I was a time waster or a hypochondriac. But it's real. I'm sure it is!"

"It's certainly something we need to check out," said Connie. "And I'd like to apologise for Dr Chao's behaviour. It could easily be nothing serious, but we can't take the chance."


	28. Chapter 28

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Ethan will be hearing from Sophie very soon - and someone wants a word with Lily!

 **Tanith Panic** , Lily might have made a mistake - even time-wasters and hypochondriacs get ill! It's true there must be worse things than being treated by Cal... Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I've been to a few different EDs - some dismissed me as a time-waster and some confirmed my life was in danger. It's just so difficult to be sure of anything without running tests and they can't do that for everyone.

 **EDSidekick** , thank you for all your reviews - it is easy to fall behind sometimes! I'm glad the topless restaurant explanation makes sense! I enjoyed writing about Max doing something non-Zoe-related. It really is lovely that you're enjoying this and it makes you laugh! I love Ethan's innocence and for some reason, I also love seeing Cal making an idiot of himself.

Thank you to **Tanith Panic** and **xCHOCOPOPx** for the follows and favourites.

* * *

Ethan wasn't having much luck with convincing himself he was feeling better. In fact, he felt pretty awful. He took another paracetamol, had a throat lozenge, and burrowed under the bedcovers, thinking how unfair life was.

When the knock came at the door, he couldn't bring himself to get out of bed. It wouldn't be anyone he wanted to talk to – and if it was, they'd know he was ill so they'd phone or text to let him know who it was.

It was quite a while before the visitor gave up, but eventually, they went away.

Not long afterwards, Ethan got a text.

It was only two words long, but it was enough to make him feel a hundred times worse.

* * *

Lily waited impatiently while Louise gave her the choice of two patients and then picked up the nearest file. "I will take the pyelonephritis."

"That's the other one," said Louise.

"Then I will take the projectile vomiting," said Lily, and turned to find Cal standing behind her. "Dr Knight, would you rather have pyelonephritis or projectile vomiting?"

"I would rather have a word with you in private," said Cal.

Louise snorted. "I bet you would."

"Unfortunately, Dr Knight, I don't have the time," said Lily.

Cal barred her way. "This is important. If you don't hear about it from me now, you'll hear about it from Mrs Beauchamp and I wanted to warn you."

"How romantic!" said Louise.

"Just looking out for a colleague," said Cal. "So, how about it, Lily?"

"Let me think," said Lily. "Pyelonephritis, projectile vomiting, or a private word with Dr Knight…"

"I know what I'd choose," said Louise, who seemed to be enjoying the scene. Or perhaps just the Cal-shaped scenery, of which Lily told herself she was completely unaware.

Cal put his hand on Lily's arm. "Please, Lily. It's really important."

"So are life-threatening conditions," said Lily, but she was wavering. He looked serious and worried – and the fact that a private word with Dr Knight was considerably more attractive than the other two alternatives _didn't_ mean she fancied him.

"I know. But it's better if you don't find out from Mrs Beauchamp. Trust me."

Lily was always very suspicious of any man who asked her to trust him, but she found herself laying the file back down and following Cal into the empty staff room. "So, Dr Knight. What's more important than doing my job?"

Cal motioned for her to sit on the sofa. Lily, with an impatient sigh, did as she was told. Cal sat beside her.

"Do you remember a patient called Violet Whitman?" he asked.

"That time waster!" said Lily viciously. "Don't tell me she's back."

"Well, yes, she is back, but-"

"Then find security and get them to throw her out!" said Lily. She got to her feet, but Cal caught her wrist and looked at her with such a pleading expression, she sat down again.

"I'm sorry, Lily." Cal's voice was gentle. His hand slid down her wrist until he was holding her hand.

Lily's voice was little more than a whisper. "She's not a time-waster?"

"We can't be completely sure, but judging from your notes, we think Violet might have suffered a TIA when she first came to see you," said Cal.

"Or she was making a fuss about nothing," said Lily, but her voice held no conviction now.

"I don't think so, Lily," said Cal. "As you know, anyone who has a TIA has an increased risk of having a normal stroke within the next few days."

Lily began to shake. "And has she had one?"

Cal nodded. "I'm sorry, Lily. Luckily, she collapsed outside the hospital and was found quickly. She has a very good chance of making a recovery. But whatever happens, you missed the signs. I don't want you to be upset because we all miss the signs sometimes, but I wanted to warn you Mrs Beauchamp is worried about the patient - and you know that's usually bad news for the doctors."

* * *

Ethan got out of bed and staggered to the door of the flat. He looked around desperately, noting with relief the 'Out of Order' sign on the lift. If Sophie had gone down that way, he'd never be able to catch her.

Not that he had a much greater chance of catching her by going down the stairs. Sophie had a head start and she was in much better physical shape than Ethan.

Ethan shut the door behind him and began to run down the stairs. He felt dizzier with every step and a few times, he had to stop so he could cough and rest for a bit. But he didn't give up.

At last, he saw someone ahead of him. Ethan tried to coax his tired body to move quicker, but he felt ready to collapse. "Sophie!" he wheezed. "Can't you at least tell me why it's over?"

Sophie turned to face him. "You know why!" she said, her eyes full of tears.

Ethan's eyes blurred. "Please don't cry, sweetheart. I really don't know what I've… oh goodness. Sorry. I'd better sit down."

He sat on the stairs and put his head between his knees. Sophie was instantly beside him. "I should probably really tell you to stand up, keep on walking down and take the consequences. But I don't think I'd like to go to prison."

"I wouldn't like you to go to prison either," said Ethan into his knees. "Please can you tell me what I've done? Is this because I lied about going to work?"

"It's because you told me you were going to work, but when I spoke to Lily, she said you weren't there. So I thought you'd changed your mind and gone back to bed, but you didn't answer the door. Then I got it into my head that if you can lie about one thing, you can lie about anything and before you knew it, I'd imagined a whole other girlfriend who you were seeing behind my back."

Ethan lifted his head in amazement. "Where on earth would I find another girlfriend? I mean, not that I'd have any interest in any other girls. But it's impossible enough that even one girl likes me! I was just in bed, Sophie. On my own. Too lazy to get out of bed and open the door. I promise there's nobody but you. There never could be."

Sophie hesitated, then hugged him. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

Ethan put his arm around her waist. "I'm sorry for lying to you. I just thought I was protecting you, but it is always better to be honest. That's what I'm always telling Cal and I really should be practising what I preach."

"So, why did you tell me you were going to work?" said Sophie.

"I didn't want you to come to the flat," said Ethan.

There was a pause. "Why not?" said Sophie, hurt.

"Because I don't want you to catch what I've got," said Ethan. "And I'm already going to spend the evening with you. I didn't want to expose you any more than that."

"No, you never do want to expose me, do you?" said Sophie sadly.

"I'm sorry?" said Ethan. "Was that a pun? I'm afraid my brain really isn't working very well at the moment."

Sophie smiled. "Neither is mine, obviously, if I thought you'd run off with someone else. If you met another girl, you'd break up with me before you went out with her."

"Yes, of course," said Ethan. "I mean, no! Well, I do mean yes, but there would never be another girl so that's never going to happen."

"But considering my imagination is prone to such wild flights of fancy," said Sophie, "maybe you could just tell the truth next time."

Ethan hugged her more tightly. "I will. I promise. I shouldn't have lied and I'm very sorry and I won't do anything like that ever again. Unless you ask me something I really can't tell you like what I'm buying you for your birthday."

"What are you buying me for my birthday?" said Sophie.

"A mushroom," said Ethan.

"A mushroom?"

"I was about to make mushroom soup." Ethan quickly turned away from Sophie and started coughing. "Sorry, darling."

"It's okay." Sophie patted his back. "Come on. I'll help you back to the flat and make your soup for you. I love your pyjamas, but I know you'd be embarrassed if the neighbours saw you."

Ethan looked down at himself in surprise. Then he realised something else. "I really must be ill."

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot my keys," said Ethan. "I never forget my keys. I'll have to phone Cal."

"I'm sure he won't mind," said Sophie, as she helped him to his feet.

Ethan put his arm around her. "No, he won't mind at all. He'll be delighted I've finally done something stupid. He's been waiting for me to do something like this for _months_."


	29. Chapter 29

**Tato Potato** , being ill can make you do the strangest things, though you probably wouldn't have left the front door open if it hadn't been safe. I'm glad your dog's okay! Ethan, on the other hand, isn't very okay. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , Ethan's lucky it happened in this story, which is mostly comedy, rather in one of the more serious ones, or Sophie would never have forgiven him! Can you imagine Cal resisting the opportunity to tease Ethan? Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I'm so glad you like Sophie and Ethan. I hope they're not quite nauseatingly in love! Lily is definitely not perfect - none of the doctors are and that's something I really love about Casualty.

 **EDSidekick** , thank you for your review. Ethan definitely isn't the sort to cheat, though he's also not usually the sort to tell lies and lock himself out! Sophie does have a very wild imagination and she needs to calm it down before she graduates!

* * *

"I was so sure she was a time-waster," said Lily sadly.

Cal put his arm around her. "I know. Sometimes all you've got to rely on are your own instincts and the patient's previous medical history. That means you can't get it right every time. There have been loads of times when I've been sure when I've been wrong. Ask Ethan! But it does feel horrible."

Lily's eyes filled with tears. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

Cal stroked her shoulder. "You know I can't answer that. On the positive side, she is young and healthy."

Lily wiped a tear. "Not very healthy."

"True," sighed Cal. He watched in anguish as Lily's tears began to fall. "Lily, don't cry! It's not your fault. It's an easy mistake to make."

"Of course it's my fault," said Lily through her tears. "I should have spotted it. But I didn't even examine her!"

Cal felt further dismay but tried not to show it. Lily knew she'd made a mistake and there's absolutely nothing to be gained by confirming it. "We can't always take the time to examine every patient."

Lily was sobbing. It was one of the saddest things Cal had ever seen.

"Hey, come here," he said softly, holding out his arms. He was expecting Lily to resist, but she didn't. She put her arms around Cal and cried into his shoulder.

"I should have seen the signs," wept Lily.

"The signs aren't always visible," said Cal. "I've missed them before. I'm sure every doctor has."

"I feel like it's all my fault."

"It's not your fault, beautiful," said Cal. He stroked her hair. "It happens, but you'll learn from this and do things differently next time."

"But what if she dies?" wailed Lily.

"It won't be your fault," said Cal. "You couldn't find anything wrong with her yesterday so there was nothing you could do, but you didn't scare her off. She still felt able to come in again today – and that meant she collapsed here, rather than at home, where she might not have been discovered for days. The only thing that really matters is that she was able to get the treatment she needed and the fact she was at the hospital today meant she was treated promptly."

"But if I'd made the correct diagnosis yesterday…" said Lily.

Cal stroked her hair. "Then there would have been only so much you could have done for her. You could have referred her to the stroke department, but there would probably have been a bit of a wait for an appointment. Again, she could easily have collapsed at home. If it had to happen, it couldn't have happened in a better place."

"I still made a mistake, though," said Lily.

"Everyone makes mistakes," said Cal. "I'll go through the list of my mistakes if it'll you feel any better, but it's going to take a very long time."

Lily laughed shakily and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry for being such a baby."

"Hey, don't be sorry. I'm always here if you need to cry."

Lily sniffed. "And I'm always here if you need to cry."

"I know you are," said Cal. "Don't worry, okay?" He kissed her forehead.

Lily felt herself freeze in his arms. Their eyes met for a long moment. Lily felt her heart-rate speed up and reminded herself that even if Cal did like her, he wouldn't like her for long.

But she wanted his kisses. She wanted to feel his lips on hers. She already knew that she'd like it.

Cal started to move his head towards hers. Closer and closer…

When Cal got a text, the sound seemed to recall them both to their senses. They looked at each other, laughed, and awkwardly let go of each other. Cal read the text. "Hey, you'll never guess what! This will put a smile on your face. Ethan's locked himself out!"

"What was Ethan doing out?" said Lily.

"I don't know, but he's locked out now," said Cal. "He wants me to go and let him in. So I suppose I'd better."

Lily looked away. "I… I suppose I should go and face Mrs Beauchamp."

"Well, you could hide from her instead," said Cal. "That's what I usually do. But it doesn't seem to make her calm down: if anything, it makes her even more annoyed." He smiled at her. "But I know loads of good hiding places."

Lily smiled. "Thank you, Cal. But I think it's better to face these things."

"I'll tell you what," said Cal. "I'll walk you as far as her office. And I'll have a coffee waiting for you if you survive the experience. How does that sound?"

"What about Ethan?" said Lily.

Cal looked as though he'd forgotten Ethan. "Oh… well… I'll go and find Robyn and give her my keys. I'm sure she won't mind going – and she won't tease Ethan nearly as much as I would!"

* * *

Ethan rested his head against Sophie's shoulder. Then he sat up again. "Sorry. You really shouldn't be too close to me."

"It's impossible to be too close to you, Ethan," said Sophie.

Ethan coughed and put his head on Sophie's shoulder again.

"I definitely can't see you getting to the opera," said Sophie.

"No, I'll be fine by this evening," said Ethan. "My symptoms are just worse because I'm late taking my medication." His phone rang and he looked at it, sighing. "It's Caleb. Probably wants to gloat."

He answered the phone and immediately heard Cal's anxious voice. "What the hell are you doing out of bed?"

"Long story," croaked Ethan.

"Okay," said Cal. "You can tell me later. I'm just letting you know I can't bring your keys. I'm sorry. Lily and I are going to see Mrs Beauchamp."

Ethan heard Lily's voice in the background, though he couldn't make the words. He politely waited until she'd finished speaking. "Caleb, what am I supposed to do: sit out on the stairs all day? In the cold?"

"No, of course not. I'll get someone else to bring the keys," said Cal. "Robyn or maybe Lofty. Don't worry, Nibbles. Someone will be with you very soon."

This time Lily's voice was clear. "He doesn't like being called Nibbles!"

"Well, he called me Caleb," said Cal.

* * *

Lily gently closed Connie's door behind her and wiped her eyes. Cal felt something inside him clench. He always felt sad when Ethan or Sophie cried, but he hadn't expected to feel that way about Lily.

"Hey," said Cal softly. He wanted to give her a hug, but he was holding two coffees and he didn't think he could manage both with one hand, especially as there was a risk of spilling scalding hot liquid on Lily. He didn't want to do anything that could endanger Lily – which, he told himself, was a perfectly natural thing to think about a colleague. "Was it really awful?"

"It could have been a lot worse," admitted Lily.

Cal handed her one of the coffees and touched her arm gently. "But the emotion still gets to you sometimes, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," agreed Lily.

Cal gave her a quick hug with his free arm. "How about we take these outside?"

Lily nodded and they found a bench where they could sit quietly.

Cal reached into his pocket. "I got you this too." It was a Mars bar. "I don't know if you like them, but they usually cheer me up."

"Thank you," said Lily. She seemed touched. "That was thoughtful. I try not to eat them too often, but perhaps I need one today."

"You won't need to eat them too often," said Cal. "It's not often Lily Chao makes a mistake. We'd better not tell Robyn or it will be all over the ED. Dr Chao makes a mistake… everyone will be running outside to see if they can see any pigs flying."

Lily laughed shakily. "I've never met a guy who makes me laugh as much as you do, Cal." She paused. "Actually, I don't think I've met another guy who makes me laugh."

Cal found this hilarious and decided to tell Ethan later, if he wasn't feeling too ill. Ethan always thought he was the funny brother – that should show him!

They were smiling at each other when Robyn called to them and they saw her walking towards the ED. "Hey, guys. Ethan and Sophie are back in the flat now. Ethan's really not well, is he? I had to help Sophie to get him into bed. He was so floppy."

Cal choked on his coffee. "I should think Sophie needs help with that even when he isn't ill!"

Lily banged him on the back a bit harder than she needed to. "Caleb Knight, that is not funny."

"Isn't it?" said Cal, pouting.

"No," said Lily. "But that stupid look on your face is very funny. Isn't it, Robyn?"

"Yes, it is," agreed Robyn, laughing.

Even though he was the subject of their mirth, Cal couldn't help thinking how good it was to see Lily happy.


	30. Chapter 30

**EDSidekick** , thank you for your review. I'm really happy you've picked up on Cal's feelings for Lily - though it's possible you've picked up on them before he has! Ethan is a stubborn little toad. Just like his future niece.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I'm afraid Ethan won't be getting better quite yet...

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , I know you're waiting and I'm so sorry it's taken so long! I had to develop Cal's feelings a bit first. I'm hoping it will be in Chapter 32, but if not, Chapter 33. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , I think you're right about Cal not realising yet - but he will do. I'm glad I managed to make Ethan's illness funny, even though it's really not! Thank you for your review.

* * *

Ethan was very glad he'd bought tickets in the stalls. The lift was only for disabled people and he wouldn't have enjoyed dragging his exhausted, aching body up all those stairs.

Dinner had been lovely, though Ethan hadn't been able to eat very much and he'd heard the people at the next table complaining about his coughing. He'd taken lots of cough mixture in preparation for the opera, though he knew there was a lot of debate about whether cough medicine did anything at all. Ethan tended towards the argument that it did nothing, but he was desperate enough to try anything.

The usher showed them to their seats. Ethan sank into his gratefully and closed his eyes. About three seconds later, he had to stand up again so three people could walk past them. He almost fell back into his seat after that, coughing loudly.

"Ethan, are you sure you don't want to go home?" said Sophie – not for the first time that evening.

"Of course I don't want to go home," said Ethan, as soon as he was able to speak. Although he was feeling horribly ill, he was mostly having a nice time. Sophie looked beautiful in a sleeveless turquoise dress that ended just below her knees. The only thing he didn't like about it was he way other men kept staring at her – but he could understand that because he'd stared too when he'd first seen her. Her hair was done up in a very loose topknot with curls and waves tumbling out of it on all sides. Ethan had been a bit worried it might all fall out, but Sophie had assured him it was all strategically in place, with the help of hairspray and hair grips.

"Make sure you tell me if you feel worse," said Sophie.

Luckily, Ethan started coughing again at that point, so he didn't have to make any promises he didn't want to keep. He saw the person on his left shifting in her seat, trying to put as much space between herself and Ethan as possible. He wondered if he should tell her that she was only likely to catch his illness if he coughed on her, but he wasn't altogether convinced that would help.

He looked at Sophie and began to smile despite how terrible he felt. "You look beautiful," he whispered, and leaned over to press his lips to her cheek. "Don't worry. I don't expect you to return the compliment. I know I look terrible."

"Don't worry," said Sophie. "You look all white to me."

"Well, sitting here with you, I feel like the cat that's got the cream."

"Ethan, you really are beyond the pale."

Ethan smiled. "I'm constantly in a state of flax around you."

"And to think I thought you were as pure as the driven snow."

Ethan blushed. "I'm just lily-livered."

"Oh, you're blanching out a bit now," said Sophie.

"Under the circumstances, it only seems weiss."

"Oh, foreign languages," said Sophie. "But my mind is far from blanc."

"Alba waiting for you to give up."

"Ethan, that's awful," said Sophie. "Though I do like it when you flirt in Latin. But two people can play at this time – and only one person can gwyn."

Ethan smiled. "That's Welsh, isn't it? You pearl among women."

"Your vit has no equal – that's Dutch, by the way."

"You are wan very fine girlfriend," said Ethan.

"Your ashen for me is overwhelming," said Sophie.

"I just can't help waxen lyrical."

"Just don't tell me I'm hoary or I'm leaving!" said Sophie.

Ethan started to cough again. "There's nothing colourless about you, darling."

* * *

Lily didn't think she'd ever been more annoyed.

Ever since she'd met Cal, she'd been spending quite a fair proportion of her time feeling annoyed with him, but this time, she was mostly annoyed with herself.

How could she have let herself believe that she was any different from the hundreds of other girls Cal had made a play for?

How could she have let herself begin to care?

She knew exactly who Cal was looking at as he sat there with that faraway expression in his eyes. She'd turned around to look. Directly in his line of sight was a waitress, bending over a table to clean it, her skirt riding up.

"You know, you could always just move to a different table," said Lily. "Don't mind me. It's not like I particularly want to look at you."

Cal jumped. He turned to stare at her, his face filled with shock and confusion. "I'm sorry, Lily? What… okay, I zoned out and I'm sorry. I was just thinking about Ethan."

"Oh, so the waitress is called Ethan, is she?" hissed Lily. "Trust you to know that already!"

Cal looked even more confused. "What waitress?"

"The one over my shoulder!" said Lily.

Cal looked over Lily's shoulder and shook his head. "I can't see any waitress."

Lily had a look. The waitress had gone. "How convenient!" she spat.

Cal sighed. "Look. Lily. I know I've got a reputation and I suppose I can't blame you for not trusting me, but I promise you: I haven't been looking at a waitress or anyone else. I'm sorry I haven't been giving you my full attention: that was wrong of me and I intend to put that right now. But my little brother has tonsillitis and he insisted on taking his girlfriend to the opera tonight and I'm worried about him, Lily. Really worried."

"Cal, do you really expect me to believe…" Lily stopped and examined Cal's face. He did look slightly guilty, but he mostly looked concerned; perhaps even upset. Feeling guilty herself, Lily reached across the table and took his hand. "Cal, I'm sure Ethan will be all right. He's very sensible."

"Where other people are concerned: yes, he's sensible," said Cal. "But not with himself. All he'll think about was that he promised to take Sophie to the opera and he'll do anything rather than disappoint her."

"Sophie would understand!" said Lily, a bit sharply. "She does care about Ethan, you know."

"I know she does," said Cal at once. "Of course she'd understand. And I'm sure she'd do everything she could to talk Ethan out of going. But Ethan… sometimes he can be really stubborn." He looked down at their joined hands and gave a forced smile. "But there's no point in worrying about it. There's nothing I can do."

"I'll tell you what we'll do," said Lily – partly because she cared about Ethan and partly because she wanted to make up for her suspicions. "We'll skip pudding, pick up something on the way home and eat it at your house. That way, if Ethan comes home early, you'll be there. How does that sound?"

Cal's smile was relieved, grateful – and perhaps something more. He held her hand tightly. "That sounds great. Thanks, Lily. But for now I'm going to forget about Ethan and think about my very beautiful, understanding date."

* * *

 _I'm not going to die. I'm not. I'm going to get to the end of the opera. I'm going to get to the end and take Sophie home and go to bed and not die._

Ethan tried to console himself with the thought that Sophie would get a break from him tomorrow. It was Lily's day off so she was taking Sophie shopping. Assuming she hadn't caught Ethan's tonsillitis.

 _No,_ Ethan reminded himself. _Not my tonsillitis. You can't catch tonsillitis. You could only catch the germ that had caused it. In my case, a cough._

Ethan's cough chose that moment to confirm its presence quite forcibly. Ethan had tried really hard to keep his coughs low in his chest, making as little noise as possible, but this time, it proved impossible. Once the coughing fit was over, he dropped his head into his hands and felt Sophie stroking his hair

"We're leaving in the next interval," she told him in a fierce whisper.

"I'll be fine," Ethan whispered back – though he suspected he'd have been forced to whisper even if they hadn't been watching an opera. "The last act's so short, it won't make that much difference."

"I want you to stay alive!" said Sophie, but she didn't argue anymore. When Act 2 ended, Sophie grabbed Ethan's hand and hurried him out of his seat. They reached the bar in time for Ethan to grab one of the chairs and Sophie went off to get him some tea.

Ethan drank it, grateful for its soothing warmth, but then he felt terrible again and just wanted to go home.

"Come on," said Sophie. "Let's go home."

"No," said Ethan weakly. "It's not long till the end anyway."

Sophie had a few more tries at convincing him, but when the interval ended, Ethan was back in his seat. His eyes were shut and his head showing an inclination to droop onto Sophie's shoulder, but he was determined to get to the end of the opera if it killed him.

Which it wouldn't.

Ethan usually got quite emotional over the last act of _La traviata_ , but he just couldn't take it seriously this time. He couldn't believe Violetta was going to die. Her coughs didn't sound half as bad as Ethan's and there was no way Ethan could have walked all over the stage at that sort of speed without support and he certainly couldn't sing. He just wanted her to hurry up and die so he could go home and die himself.

He closed his eyes, listening to the voice warbling on and on and on… and stopping.

Ethan opened his eyes. He was sure the music wasn't supposed to stop there.

Then he saw the soprano falling backwards and lying still on the stage.


	31. Chapter 31

**CBloom2** , thank you for your review. I'm sure it will be Dr Hardy to the rescue if he can manage to stand up, but he's not finding that very easy at the moment!

 **EDSidekick** , Ethan definitely can't go home and 'die' yet! I think Cal is genuinely worried about Ethan, but I'm sure 'dessert' is never very far from his mind! Lily might indeed get more than she bargained for. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , there could be two phantoms of the opera by the end of the night! That really would be a spectre-cle. I'm not sure anybody will be haunting the stage door tonight... thank you for your reviews and I'm glad you like Sophie's hair.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked the puns. Ethan will definitely have to do something, but he might not mind too much.

 **ETWentHome** , Ethan should have gone home, but under the circumstances, it's probably a good thing he didn't! Cal and Lily might not find it very easy to trust each other, but Lily believing Cal is a good start. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Sophie jumped to her feet and started pushing her way along the row. "Excuse me. I'm a first aider."

Ethan's brain woke up. A moment later, he was following Sophie down the aisle, adrenaline and professional training keeping him upright when physical strength alone probably wouldn't have been enough.

Sophie got up onto the stage easily, but it was more of a struggle for Ethan and he needed help from an obliging operagoer.

Sophie was already kneeling beside the soprano. "Chiara, can you open your eyes for me?"

She waited a moment, then tapped Chiara's shoulders, but there was no response. She opened the airway, and listened and felt for breathing.

"Can we have some help out here, please?" Sophie called into the wings as she began CPR. A couple of people ran on. "Okay, we need an ambulance and if there's a defibrillator in the building, please bring it here. And bring the curtain down, please. The ambulance needs to know Chiara's approximate age, that she's not breathing, exactly what happened and that a trained first aider is giving CPR."

"Let me do that, Sophie," said Ethan. He knew that, even if a defibrillator was found, it might be too late to do anything. He didn't want Sophie to lose the patient. She wasn't ready for that.

"You're not well enough, Ethan," said Sophie.

"I'm fine," said Ethan. "I'm not letting you do this alone."

"Ethan, you're not strong enough for compressions," said Sophie. Her voice wasn't quite natural, and Ethan knew she was counting hard. "And if you think you're going… to breathe your tonsillitis breath… down an opera singer's throat… you've definitely got another think coming."

She stopped compressions, leaned over Chiara's mouth, pinched the nose closed and gave two rescue breaths, watching as the chest expanded and deflated.

"I can still do a round of compressions," said Ethan huskily. "I can use the defibrillator. I-" He broke off and turned away to cough.

When he turned back, the defibrillator had arrived. Sophie had switched it on and was quickly cutting away Chiara's costume, using the scissors that came with the defibrillator. Ethan grabbed one of the pads and attached it while Sophie attached the second pad.

The machine analysed the heart rhythm and advised a shock. "Everybody clear," said Sophie.

Ethan moved back and let Sophie administer the shock. They watched as Chiara's body jumped in the air, drawing gasps from the people gathered on the stage. The curtain, Ethan realised, had already been lowered.

Sophie checked Chiara's pulse. She shook her head and continued with compressions.

"Please let me," said Ethan.

"I'm fine. If you want to help… check the ambulance has been called."

Ethan nodded and tried to stand up, only to remember standing was a lot more difficult now. He got himself up somehow and tottered over to the people gathered on the stage, knowing his voice wouldn't carry. "Has someone called an ambulance?" he said.

"Yes: it's on the way. Are you a first aider too?"

"I'm Dr Ethan Hardy from Holby City Emergency Department," he said. "So I need to get back and help my… my colleague." _And sit down before I fall down._ "Please could you bring the paramedics onto the stage as soon as they arrive? Thank you."

He returned to Sophie, who was administering a second shock. "No pulse, Ethan."

Ethan half-fell onto his knees. "I'll do the next round."

"You look exhausted," said Sophie, and carried on.

"Really, I can help," croaked Ethan. "I don't want you to take all the responsibility on yourself. I'm not just saying that because you're a student. I wouldn't want any doctor to do that."

"Stop talking." Sophie was getting breathless now. "Or you'll have no voice left."

Ethan couldn't bear it. He wanted to tear her hands away and take over, but that wouldn't be fair. It wasn't as though Sophie was doing anything wrong or even as though she was worryingly out of breath. She was doing a good job. A much better job than Ethan could do at the moment.

But they could still lose the patient and he knew how that felt.

He watched helplessly, counting with her just in case she got confused, but she never did. She gave the thirtieth compression, administered the shock and checked for the pulse. Her eyes filled with tears.

Ethan grabbed her hand and squeezed it briefly. "I'll take over. It's okay, sweetheart." He put his hands into position.

"No, there's no need," said Sophie. "She's back with us." She blinked her tears away. "I'll keep monitoring her vital signs."

"I can do that," said Ethan, between coughs.

"No. I'm fine," said Sophie. "Chiara, can you hear me? Open your eyes if you can." There was no response so she tapped the soprano's shoulders, then checked the airway, breathing and pulse. "Still with us. Ethan, I'm okay, but I'm so glad you're here."

"I'll always be here," said Ethan. "I love you and I'm so proud of you. And if you need me to do anything..."

"Could you find out if anyone knows Chiara's medical history?"

Ethan took her hand again and squeezed it tightly. "Of course, darling."

* * *

Lily put her spoon back in the bowl. "No, I really don't think I can manage anymore. Perhaps I was greedy to ask for a second bowl."

"Two bowls of ice-cream isn't greedy," said Cal. "In order to be greedy, you have to have at least six bowls."

"Why is that?" said Lily. "Is it because you often eat five?"

Cal laughed. He had to admit Lily knew him very well. "Maybe…"

"It sounds like at least definitely maybe to me," said Lily.

Cal leaned closer to her. "Oh, so you're criticising my eating habits now, are you, Dr Chao? In that case, I can't possibly finish your ice-cream for you. So you'll have to eat it."

"Make me," said Lily.

"I will!" said Cal. He picked up the spoon from Lily's bowl and held it to her lips. "Open wide."

Lily shook her head firmly, but he could tell she was fighting a smile.

"Come on…" Cal pressed the spoon against her lips, getting ice-cream all over them. He fantasised about licking it off.

"No!" said Lily, pushing his hand away.

Cal took advantage of her open mouth and pushed the spoon into it. "There you are!"

Lily glared at him, but she swallowed the ice-cream and licked her lips clean.

She looked so hot when she did that.

"Have some more," said Cal, offering her the spoon again.

"I suppose if I don't, you will force-feed me?"

Cal moved the spoon closer, smiling at her. "That's right!"

Lily looked like she was trying not to smile, but she took the spoon from him, causing Cal to gasp slightly as their hands brushed.

"You see? You could manage it," said Cal, as Lily finished the bowl.

"Only to be polite," said Lily.

"Don't lie. You loved every mouthful!" said Cal.

Then he started getting images of other things he'd like Lily to have a mouthful of and quickly looked away before she read his mind. He didn't want to scare her away.

He didn't ever want her to leave.

"Lily-"

"Cal," she said at exactly the same time.

"Ladies first," he said.

"Don't be sexist."

"Okay. Guests first."

Lily laughed. "Okay. It's not really important, but I wanted to say thank you. I really enjoyed this evening and I appreciate what you did for me today too. I just… wanted you to know that."

"You're welcome," said Cal. "I'm glad I… I'm glad."

He wanted to say more. Her words deserved more.

Lily looked back at him. There was a long, long silence.

Cal didn't make any decision to kiss her. He was actually telling himself that Lily was his friend and he mustn't, but he found he was leaning towards her.

He was about to pull back, but then he realised Lily was leaning towards him too.

Her mouth was cold from the ice-cream, but so sweet. Cal kissed her softly, giving her plenty of chances to change her mind, but he was really hoping she wouldn't because he'd wanted this for so long.

He moved one hand to the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. Her lips parted further as she did the same. She lifted her hands and placed them on his shoulders, rather awkwardly it was true, but Cal revelled in her touch, wrapping his free arm firmly around her waist.

Then suddenly it was over, with Lily almost recoiling away from him, scooting back to the arm of the sofa. She was panting slightly and her eyes were wide. "Cal, I don't… I don't want this."

It hurt. Cal tried to speak, but it took him two attempts. "That's fine. I'm sorry, Lily. It won't happen again."

"I mean…" Lily seemed to be having trouble producing words too. "I don't want to be a… another notch on your bedpost."

Cal shook his head and spoke gently. "You'll never be that, Lily. And even if you kiss me again, I'm not expecting anything more from you tonight. Of course I want you, but not unless you want it too and if that means waiting weeks… months… then I'll wait." _What? What am I saying?_

 _The truth. I'm telling the truth..._

"If you're not interested in me, Lily, then I respect that and I'll be happy to be your friend and colleague," said Cal. "Or not quite happy. I'll be sad. But I know I'm not exactly the best prospect. My reputation isn't great and I'm not even a very good doctor…"

"Of course you are!" said Lily. "You are a wonderful doctor. I thought you knew that. But I'm… I'm not interested in you for your job." A look of wonder came over her face. "I like you because of who you are."

Cal laughed shakily. "I suppose I can't blame you for being surprised. But… wait, did you say you're interested in me too?"

Lily frowned. "I didn't mean to say it, but why should I not be honest with you? I am interested in you, Dr Knight."

"And I'm interested in you, Dr Chao."

"Will you kiss me again, Dr Knight?"

Cal took his face in her hands, grazing his thumbs over her cheekbones. "Lily, do you even have to ask?"

And then his phone rang.

"You'd better answer that," said Lily regretfully. "It might be Ethan."

Cal reluctantly realised she was right. "It's Sophie. Hey, Mrs Nibbles. Are you okay?"

"Hey, _Caleb_ ," said Sophie. "Would you be able to help me get Ethan up the stairs? He's exhausted."

Cal sighed and promised, then he leaned forward and kissed Lily. "I don't suppose you want to help me and Sophie help my brother up the stairs?"

"That," said Lily, "is one of the reasons why I came here."

"What's the other one?" said Cal.

"I'm not telling you," said Lily. "Your head is big enough already."


	32. Chapter 32

_Thank you so much for all the reviews! I really appreciate them all, particularly as some of my other stories have really struggled for reviews this week._

 **theverystuffoflife** , thank you for your review - I'm so happy you're still reading and enjoying the story. I always wondered what might have happened if Cal and Lily had had their second date. I love the Cal and Lily scene in Excess Baggage.

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , it would have been terrible if Ethan and Sophie would have lost the patient - we know how upset Ethan gets when he starts blaming himself. Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I wasn't sure about Cal and Lily when I first started writing this story, but it's much easier and more fun to write than I expected. Maybe you could write about them too.

 **EDSidekick** , don't worry - I think almost everyone preferred Lily and Cal in this chapter! I have to agree about naughty Dr Knight being hot - but when isn't he? Silly, exhausted and very poorly - yes, that sums Ethan up at the moment! Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , Ethan was very determined and brave, but Sophie probably thought one patient was enough! It's easy to imagine Ethan pushing him too hard for the good of his patient. I think Cal probably does mean it about waiting for Lily. Thank you for your review.

 **TimeLadyOdair** , it's so good to see you back - I've missed you. I'm so glad you're still enjoying the story. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , you're not an idiot. You've probably just seen too many directors trying to be clever! It would have been so awful if Ethan and Sophie had gone onto the stage to treat an opera character! I think Cal could make anything sexy. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Ethan was awoken by someone grabbing his shoulders and shaking them hard. He opened his eyes, feeling as though he hadn't slept at all, to discover his brother sitting on his bed. "What do you want?" he croaked.

"To congratulate you, of course!" said Cal.

Ethan glared at him. He could tell from the look in his eyes that his brother was making fun of him in some way and he did not appreciate it when he was ill.

"Though, really, I should be congratulating _Sophie_ ," said Cal. "It was quite a night for her."

Ethan gave Cal a suspicious look. He couldn't remember anything about last night, but it sounded like Cal was being crude. He was a bit surprised as he didn't think he'd let Sophie share a bed with him when he was ill. He looked from the corner of his eye to see if she was there, but there was no sign of her.

"I had no idea she was so close to graduating!" said Cal. "But really, Nibbles, ill or not, you really shouldn't let poor Mrs Nibbles be alone on her wedding night."

"What?!" said Ethan. "What are you talking about?"

Cal picked up a newspaper from the bed and brandished it triumphantly. "This!" He showed Ethan the page. One of the headlines was: _Doctor breathes new life into ailing Traviata_.

Slowly, Ethan's thoughts began to fall into some sort of order. He and Sophie had gone to the opera last night and when the leading soprano had collapsed, Sophie had saved her life. But he didn't remember anything about graduation or marriage. If Sophie was that close to graduating (which Ethan was fairly sure was impossible), wouldn't she have told him? And if they had got married, why was he alone in bed?

"Do you remember now?" said Cal, a teasing light in his eye.

"Some of it," said Ethan guardedly.

Cal was smiling. "Then perhaps I'd better read you the article. See if it jogs your memory a bit."

"As long as I can go back to sleep after that," said Ethan.

Cal cleared his throat and made a rather poor attempt at speaking like a newsreader. " _More than a thousand opera-goers poured into Holby Grand Theatre yesterday evening to watch Holby Opera's new production of_ La traviata _, no doubt hoping for the miracle that any true opera fan cannot help wishing for: that Violetta's life might somehow be spared. Their hopes seemed set to be dashed fifteen minutes early when soprano Chiara Rossetti collapsed mid-aria, leaving audience and stagehands stunned. However, help was at hand when Dr Sophie Hardy of Holby City Hospital's Emergency Department sprang into action, vaulting the orchestra pit in order to perform life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation._ " Cal stopped reading and smiled at Ethan. "You see? Dr Sophie Hardy?"

"That's a mistake," said Ethan, though he couldn't help smiling proudly. "I told them I was Dr Ethan Hardy from the ED. They must have got confused. And Sophie didn't vault the orchestra pit. The orchestra pit doesn't run the full length of the stage so we both climbed up at the side of the stage. But the rest is all true."

"Yeah, I did wonder if the vaulting part was exaggerated," said Cal. He looked at Ethan for a moment. "Though I suppose it wasn't all Sophie. You must have helped her."

"It was mostly Sophie." Ethan began to cough. "I put one of the pads on when we got the defibrillator, but Sophie wouldn't let me do anything else in case I got sued for breathing tonsillitis all over an opera singer." He coughed some more, letting his head fall back against the pillow.

Cal put his hand against Ethan's forehead. "You don't look too good, Nibbles. You should see a doctor."

"I'm looking at one right now – though I'm not very impressed."

"To be fair, I've never saved a life at the opera," admitted Cal. "Certainly not when I was a student. Unless I was too drunk to remember."

"I think I'd be inclined to think you hadn't, Caleb."

Cal glanced at the article again. "I hope she made it. The opera singer I mean. The article doesn't say."

Ethan spluttered some more. "I hope so too. I'd want that anyway, of course, but Sophie's going to want to know if she survived and she's going to be devastated if she didn't."

Cal scanned the article. "I don't suppose it even occurred to the paper that the fact Sophie got her heart beating again doesn't necessarily mean she's going to be okay." He sighed. "It says she's thirty-two…. that's very young."

"I know," said Ethan. "They are getting better at spotting these heart defects, but if she hasn't been tested for it, she wouldn't have known she was at risk." He closed his eyes. He really did feel dreadful. "Cal, you couldn't get me some water and a throat sweet, could you?"

"Sure." Cal patted his shoulder. There was a jug of water and a glass on Ethan's bedside table so he poured some for his brother. "I'll just help you sit up: okay?"

"I don't want to sit up," moaned Ethan throatily.

There was a smile in Cal's voice. "Ethan, I'm sure you're as incredible as your wife in your own way, but I doubt you've learned to drink a glass of water while lying down."

"She's not my wife!" said Ethan.

"Only a matter of time," said Cal. He let Ethan rest his head against his shoulder as he arranged the pillows for him. "There you are. Drink up. I'll get you a paracetamol."

Ethan tried to get something from his bedside table, but he couldn't lift his arm enough. "I need to phone Sophie," he whispered. "I need to make sure she's okay."

"I'll do it when I get back," said Cal. "You need to save your voice, Nibbles. For boasting about the new Dr Hardy!"

* * *

Lily woke up with a smile on her face. She smiled through her shower; she smiled through her breakfast – and it was a real effort for her to stop smiling when Sophie reminded her of how ill Ethan had been last night.

"I hope he's okay," said Sophie. "And I'm worried about Chiara too."

"I'm sure our colleagues have done their best for her," said Lily. "But if anything has happened, Sophie, it's not your fault. If it hadn't been for you, the hospital might not have been able to do anything for her at all. You gave her a chance - and that's all anyone can hope for in this situation."

"I hope it was enough of a chance," said Sophie.

"I'm sure no-one - not me; not Ethan; not Mrs Beauchamp - could have given her more of a chance than you did," said Lily. "I think you did brilliantly last night and I want you to know that I'm very, very proud of you."

Sophie's eyes shone with tears. "Don't, Lily. You'll make me cry and I'll look stupid going shopping with red eyes. Besides, I'm wearing pink and I'll completely clash." She took Lily's hand. "But thank you, Lily. Thank you."

"You're welcome," said Lily. "I know it is very important to know that people are proud of you."

Sophie blinked hard. "I'm sure your dad is proud of you, Lily. He would be crazy not to be. But I'm proud of you. You are a great registrar and one day, you'll be a great consultant too."

"If you wish us to go shopping with matching red eyes," said Lily unsteadily, "you are saying all the right things."

"So let's change the subject to someone more interesting than me," said Sophie.

"Who?" said Lily.

"Who?" echoed Sophie disbelievingly. "Dr Caleb Knight, of course." She laughed. "I'm almost worried about you, Lily."

"Worried about me?" said Lily anxiously. "Do you mean you're worried I'm going to get hurt? I know about Cal's reputation, but he seemed so different the last couple of days." She looked down. "But maybe it's a bit much to expect Cal to change. Maybe he never will."

Sophie put a sympathetic hand over Lily's. "I was joking about being worried about you, Lily. But every relationship is a risk. You know I can't be sure of what Cal's going to do. But I don't think there's very much reason to worry. I don't think this is the first sign that Cal has changed. Cal was serious about me and that awful con-artist girl and Ethan thinks there's only been three one-night stands in nearly a year. So I think he really has changed, Lily."

"And it was his girlfriends who broke his heart, not the other way round," said Lily thoughtfully. "So perhaps he's only broken three hearts - and I actually don't think many girls would fall in love after one night."

"He definitely didn't break Amber's heart," said Sophie, naming a student from her university who'd also done her work experience in the ED.

Lily had to admit it was unlikely that Cal had broken Amber's heart. "From what I recall, Amber doesn't have a heart – as was perhaps proved when Amber copied your fainting 'trick' for Dylan's benefit and he couldn't find her pulse. But Robyn said Iain was quite disappointed not to get a second date with Amber."

Sophie looked delighted. "Lily Chao, were you listening to gossip?"

"No, I was not," said Lily, but she was smiling. "I happened to be in the same room as Robyn when she said it and I happened not to have taken my usual precaution of not listening. That's the only reason I know. But I don't want to discuss Iain."

"No, but I know who you do want to discuss!" said Sophie.

Lily thought about claiming she didn't want to discuss anyone, but then she wondered why. Sophie was her best friend and Cal was worth talking about. "Okay, why should I pretend? Caleb Knight is a lovely, sweet, charming and very handsome man. And he kissed me."

"And you liked it."

"And I liked it," said Lily. She closed her eyes as she remembered the feel of his lips on hers. "I don't understand why you let him go, Sophie, but I'm glad you did."

"So am I," said Sophie. "I do really like Cal a lot, but Ethan is… Ethan."

Lily smiled. "If you said he was the most gorgeous man in the world, I would have argued. If you'd said he was perfect, I would have had grave reservations about agreeing. But I can't argue that he's Ethan."

"And do you know something?" Sophie grabbed Lily's arm, her voice shrill with excitement. "If you marry Cal and I marry Ethan… or even if just one of us gets married… we'll be sisters!"

The squeal that escaped Lily's mouth at this thought was the kind of noise she'd never imagined making in her life.


	33. Chapter 33

_I've just realised I should have been updating a different story, but as this one is ready, here you go!_

 **CBloom2** , I always like to include readers' ideas where I can! I'll see what I can do, though I'm not sure marriage will be on their minds for long. It would be nice for Lily to have a sister as even her mum seems quite distant. Thank you for your review.

 **TimeLadyOdair** , I'm so glad you still love the story! I couldn't leave poor Cal heartbroken for long - I'm glad you like his relationship with Lily. I don't think a ménage a trois involving two brothers would quite work. Oh dear... I've broken your heart again? I'm worse than Cal! I'm considering a happily ever after so you never know! Thank you for your review.

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. It's possible the article will give Ethan ideas about marrying Sophie - as long as he's not too shy to ask her!

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , here, finally, is the plotline you requested! The big moment is at the end of the chapter and will continue for a few more chapters. I really hope it's everything you were hoping for. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , it's almost easier imagining Cal squealing like a girl than Lily! I thought Cal needed to show he was over Sophie and Lily needed to admit her feelings for Cal - I'm really happy you liked the way I chose to do it. I think making the effort to understand someone can achieve a lot. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , yes, Cal should have let poor Ethan sleep! But he's such a big kid sometimes. I don't think he could have waited till after work to tease Ethan. I think Lily has fallen for Cal... most girls probably only get that excited over Cal in his imagination! Thank you for your review.

* * *

The first thing Cal did when he arrived at work was to get himself a coffee.

The second thing he did was to log on to one of the computers and search for a patient named Chiara Rossetti.

He knew he was supposed to be working – he was actually slightly late, which was Ethan's fault for once. Ethan had spilled the soup Cal had made for him and Cal had had to change the duvet cover, find Ethan some new pyjamas - and heat up another tin of soup.

As Cal and duvet covers had never got on particularly well, he'd actually thought Ethan had a point when he'd commented that at this rate, he was going to get better before Cal had finished changing it.

But finally, he was at work and looking up Sophie's latest patient. He discovered that she was alive, if not particularly well, and had been transferred to a ward.

Cal allowed himself a smile of relief and got out his phone to text Sophie. He'd promised to text Ethan, but he thought Sophie deserved to know first.

"Dr Knight, while I am absolutely delighted to see you in such a good mood," said Connie, "don't you think you should be treating patients right about now?"

"Yes, of course, Mrs Beauchamp," said Cal politely. "But there's this girl-"

"I'm quite sure there is," said Connie. "There always is with you. But-" Connie parodied his voice: " _there's also this job_ – and I suggest you go and do it. Now."

Cal nodded meekly and turned to leave.

"One moment," said Connie. "When you have a spare minute – which, I might add, you most certainly don't have at present – perhaps you could contact Sophie and offer her my congratulations."

"On her graduation or the wedding?" said Cal, and he so _almost_ got a smile from Connie.

"On her life-saving medical treatment," said Connie. "And perhaps you could mention to your brother that next time he chooses to take the day off work and then socialise in the evening, he shouldn't involve himself in anything that's likely to get him into the papers."

Cal tried to defend his brother. "The article didn't even mention Ethan. Not really."

"Perhaps not, but they must have got the name 'Dr Hardy' from somewhere," said Connie. "Right. Off to work, Dr Knight, before I remember the deplorable state of your patient notes yesterday…"

It was fair to say that Cal didn't hang around.

* * *

Lily couldn't understand how she'd failed to realise clothes shopping was so exciting. Of course, it wasn't quite the same when she was on her own and when she had nothing to dress up for, but still, dresses were dresses and shoes were shoes.

She was beginning to realise that handbags were quite exciting too.

However, she did think Sophie was taking things a bit too far when she informed her that the handbag she was carrying was called Ethan.

"You… name your handbags?" said Lily.

Sophie laughed. "Of course not! But the site I got it from, all their handbags have boys' names. So when I saw there was one called Ethan, how could I resist?"

"If all Ethans are that irresistible," said Lily, "it is fortunate that most people called Ethan are probably under ten."

"Maybe it is," said Sophie. "Come on: let's go in here."

She dragged Lily into a shoe shop (or perhaps 'drag' wasn't quite the right word, considering Lily had had an eye on a pair of shoes in there for some time and she was hoping Sophie would manage to talk her into buying them) and soon they were trying on identical black heeled shoes with peep toes.

"Are you sure peep toes are professional?" said Lily.

"I'm sure prostitutes wear them," said Sophie. "They're professionals."

Lily choked slightly. "Sophie, that's not the way to convince me!"

"Of course peep-toes are professional," said Sophie. "Especially these. It only offers the tiniest glimpse. It's not as though they're sandals. They're not even slingbacks."

"Now I need a translation," said Lily apologetically.

" _These_ are slingbacks!" said Sophie, grabbing at a pair of shoes on the rack in front of them… only to let go when half the contents of the rack crashed to the floor.

* * *

Ethan smiled when he got the text from Cal saying the opera singer had survived the night and Connie was actually impressed with Sophie. He smiled even more when Cal added: _How come she's never impressed with me?_

Ethan was enjoying considering how to reply to that when he read the rest of the text.

He stopped smiling.

He'd actually been quite pleased to hear that Connie had read the article. He wanted the whole hospital – no, the whole world - to know how incredible his girlfriend was. But the fact that Connie knew he'd skipped work and then gone to the opera could turn out to be a bit of a problem.

 _But what can I do?_ thought Ethan. _I can't prove to her what a good, committed, conscientious doctor I am. Not now. I can only get to the bathroom by sheer effort of will and the fact that I'd never live it down if Cal had to clean up after me. I can't phone her and apologise – she'd make mincemeat out of me and eat me alive… though I suppose if she's already made mincemeat out of me, there's not much else she can do apart from eat me. I might as well close my eyes and wish… that's probably my best hope!_

So Ethan closed his eyes and wished. _I wish for Mrs Beauchamp not to be too cross with me. I wish I would recover quickly so I can go back to work soon and prove that I can do compressions and use defibrillators too… not that I actually want anyone to need compressions and defibrillators, but it's a bit difficult to avoid it in our job. I wish that something really dramatic would happen to make Mrs Beauchamp forget all about how stupid I was. I don't regret going because a life needed saving and if I wasn't there, Sophie might not have been there either and then the life might not have been saved. But I do wish that something would happen so Mrs Beauchamp doesn't eat me. Please._

* * *

Lily smiled as she watched Sophie almost skipping down the path, swinging a bag with three new pairs of shoes in. She'd decided that, after knocking the display over, three new pairs of shoes was the minimum she could be expected to buy.

It had occurred to Lily to wonder if Sophie had done it on purpose, but she didn't think her best friend would go that far.

"I think I might feel sorry for Ethan," said Lily.

The happy look faded from Sophie's face and she looked hurt instead. "Why? Because he's going out with me?"

"No, of course not!" said Lily at once. "I didn't mean that at all. But I think he's got a lot to compete with considering how happy shoes make you."

"Shoes are brilliant," said Sophie. "I couldn't live without shoes. I can't be a doctor without shoes."

"True," said Lily. She had to admit she didn't think Connie would be at all happy if one of her doctors arrived for work with bare feet.

"But I couldn't live with Ethan either," said Sophie dreamily. "He's so sweet and gorgeous and lovely… could you live without Cal?"

Lily considered. "Yes. I think I could."

Sophie looked scandalised. "Lily! How can you say that?"

"Because it's true," said Lily. "I believe it is impossible to die of a broken heart, so therefore I could live without Cal. But that doesn't mean I want to."

Sophie gave her a hug. "I really don't think you'll have to. He could hardly take his eyes off you when we were helping Ethan up the stairs. That's why he tripped and nearly let go of Ethan: because he was looking at you!"

"How was he looking at me?" said Lily urgently. "I mean, not that it's important. It's not important at all."

"The way Ethan looks at me sometimes," said Sophie. "Like he thinks I'm not so much the most wonderful person in the world as the only person in the world. Like he can't believe how lucky he is. Like I'm beautiful."

"You are beautiful," said Lily softly.

"Not in comparison with everyone at the hospital," said Sophie. "I've never seen so many absolute stunners in one workplace before. Even Charlie's quite fit for an old guy. If I were fifty years older…"

Lily was startled. "Are you saying you like Charlie more than…. No. Of course you don't. I'm sorry. That was a joke, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was a joke," said Sophie as they started to cross the road. She twirled round on the little island in the middle of the road. "Charlie is nice, but there's only Ethan for me." She started to walk backwards across the rest of the road, leaving Lily on the island.

"Sophie, be careful: it's not safe!"

Sophie lifted her hands and shouted. "I'm just so in love with-"

When Lily saw the car coming, she didn't freeze as many would have done. She threw herself at Sophie, pushing her out of the way and hoping her own momentum would carry her out of the path of the car too.

But it didn't.


	34. Chapter 34

**Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. I don't think I'm quite mean enough to kill Lily off, but she's not in a good way. I think you're right about Sophie blaming herself.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , I'm so glad I wrote your idea as you wanted it to be. The storyline will continue over the next few chapters so I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , I'm glad you enjoyed the cliffhanger - I'm sorry it took me so long to update! Thank you for your review - I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

 **Tanith Panic** , I would feel very short-changed - and annoyed - if I saw a production where Violetta didn't die - but that doesn't stop me from hoping! I was surprised the first time I heard Ethan making puns as he seemed to serious, but it's all part of his character and I love him. I'm sorry for worrying you! But I'm glad I managed to catch you off your guard. Thank you for your review.

 **sarahmichellegellarfan1** , thank you for your reviews - I'm amazed you read the whole story in one day. Thank you for taking the time and trouble! I'm glad you liked the opening and that you like Ethan and Sophie as a couple. The ending to the last chapter was pretty shocking - I hope you'll continue to read!

 **ETWentHome** , I'm sorry for stopping your heart... good thing I know how to restart it! Ethan is probably the least of Connie's worries right now... I think Sophie will blame herself and as for Lily, you'll have to wait and see! Thank you for your review.

 _Thank you to **sarahmichellegellarfan1** and **pinkandpurplecherryblossom** for the follows and favourite._

* * *

By the time he'd had breakfast, Ethan realised he wasn't feeling quite as awful as he'd thought. He was too ill to do anything silly like going back to work, but lying in bed was starting to get a little bit dull.

He read for a while, but it made his headache worse so he switched on the local radio station instead, knowing there would be a news bulletin in the next few minutes.

" _Part of Holby High Street is closed following a traffic accident involving three cars and two pedestrians..."_

Ethan felt shock run through him, but he realised immediately that he was being silly. There would be so many pedestrians shopping in pairs on Holby High Street. There was no reason to assume it was Sophie and Lily.

He listened as the newsreader handed over to a reporter at the scene, who explained what had happened.

 _"_ _The first car braked sharply after a pedestrian walked in front of the car but was unable to avoid hitting her. The second car ploughed into the first car and was then hit by the car behind. Two pedestrians, one of whom is thought to be seriously injured, three drivers and five passengers are currently being assessed by paramedics and a doctor who was at the scene_."

Ethan held tightly to the edge of the duvet. He was lying down, but he still felt himself falling.

He knew news reports were not always accurate and the fact that Lily had helped an injured pedestrian did not necessarily mean it was Sophie who had been hit. But Ethan's heart was throbbing painfully and he was so afraid.

He grabbed his phone from the side of the bed and dialled first Sophie's number, then Lily's, but there was no reply from either of them.

They might both be helping the injured, of course. Answering their phones would be far from their first priority.

But Ethan couldn't take the chance.

* * *

Iain and Dixie stopped the ambulance and jumped out. They passed the three cars involved in the accident, noticing that each was attended by at least one bystander and several had their heads and necks supported in the correct manner.

"I'll have a quick word to let them know we're here and that another ambulance is on the way," said Dixie. "You go on ahead and see to the pedestrians."

Iain nodded and walked quickly ahead, listening to the sound of Dixie's kind, reassuring voice as he spoke to the people in and around the first car. Once he'd passed the cars, he found the pedestrians and his heart sank.

He'd seen far worse in the army, of course, but even so, nothing could ever prepare him for this. The girl lying on the road was Lily Chao. The girl with her was Lily's friend – and Ethan's girlfriend – Sophie.

"Hey, Sophie," said Iain, summoning up a cheeky smile. "I would say 'not you again' – but the truth is, you always seem to be in the right place at the right time. Can you tell us what happened?"

Sophie looked pale and shaky, but she returned Iain's smile and answered the question promptly, if tremulously. "I was crossing the road without due care and attention. Lily saw me walk into the path of a car. She pushed me out of the way and was hit by the car. Two other cars were also involved. The drivers and passengers are shocked, but all are conscious and responsive, though I didn't spend much time with them as I wanted to get back to Lily. Lily is unconscious and breathing, but I suspect a pneumothorax or a tension pneumothorax caused by a puncture from a fractured rib: breaths are rapid, shallow and uneven; patient appears hypoxic; I think I can hear air being sucked into the chest as she breathes in. Query fractured pelvis; query right tib and fib fracture; possible head injury. I have a bystander supporting her head and neck. Open fracture of the left radius: I have a trained first-aider applying pressure around the injury; query fractured ulna. Lily is also showing signs of shock – her skin is pale, cold and clammy and her pulse is rapid and thready. I've loosened her clothing and covered her with coats as you can see."

Iain patted her arm. "Good work. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I can see your cheek and hands are bleeding and you're supporting your wrist with your hand," said Iain.

"Okay: query radial distal fracture," said Sophie. "But you should treat Lily first."

Iain nodded and checked Lily's vital signs before turning to the first aider and bystander, asking for their names as he started to examine Lily. "Thanks for helping, both of you. Sian, if you could keep holding Lily's head for me, that would be a great help. Jamie, perhaps you could help Sophie: it's not easy treating your own wrist injuries. She'll tell you what to do if needed: help yourself to bandages and padding from my bag."

When Dixie arrived, Iain passed on the information about Lily's condition, adding what he had observed for himself. He kept his voice low so Sophie wouldn't hear. "It looks pretty bad, Dix. I'm building up padding around the protruding end of the bone so I can bandage across, but she's already showing signs of shock, which suggests Sophie's right about the tension pneumothorax. There's no chest wound so I would say the lung has been penetrated by a rib."

"I'll get the trolley," said Dixie. "The other ambo is three minutes away. What about Sophie?"

"She has wrist and facial injuries, but she's walking and talking," said Iain. "I don't think she's a priority, but she'll want to be with Lily."

* * *

Cal heard the red phone ring and felt the usual feeling of fear and dread: two feelings he knew he'd mostly forget about when it came to doing his job. He watched Charlie answer the phone and say a few words, his back to Cal, but then he swung around and their eyes met.

Cal's first thought was for Ethan: that he was more ill than he'd realised or that he'd tried to do something silly like going to work and had met with an accident.

Charlie hung up the phone. "Cal, please go to the staff room. Lofty, go with him. Everyone else gather round."

Lofty put his arm around Cal and tried to drag him away, but Cal stood firm. If it was Ethan, he wanted to know now. He had to.

"Cal! Go!" said Charlie sharply, but there wasn't much time and he quickly gave details of the accident and injuries. His eyes met Cal's again in what looked like apology. "The two pedestrians involved were Lily and Ethan's girlfriend Sophie. Sophie has superficial injuries and a possible broken wrist; I'm afraid Lily's condition is much more serious. She-"

Cal didn't hear anymore. He didn't quite lose consciousness, but the room around him was replaced by a black cloud and he felt his legs collapsing beneath him. Lofty helped him to fall safely and put his head between his knees, his arm firmly around Cal.

"We can deal with this, Cal," said Lofty. "We'll do our best for both of them. It doesn't sound like Sophie is that seriously injured, so she should be fine, but maybe you should let Ethan know."

"Lofty, you idiot!" That was a very shaky-voiced Robyn. "It's Lily he's upset about. Well, I'm sure he's upset about both of them, but Lily's his girlfriend! You should know that: I've told you enough times!"

Lofty was probably shocked to find out Robyn's gossip was true, but he didn't miss a beat. "We'll do our best for Lily, Cal. You know we will. Come on: let's go to the staff room. That will be the best place to wait for news. I'll stay with you if I'm not needed."

"Let me treat Lily." Cal was shaking so hard, he knew he couldn't have treated anyone at that moment, but he knew Lily wouldn't be here yet.

"You can't, Cal," said Lofty, his voice quiet but firm. "You know you can't. Mrs Beauchamp is going to treat her and you know you can trust her to do her best for Lily. Lily will need all your support later on and I know you'll be there for her, but for now, you've had a shock. You need to let me look after you so you can give the best possible support to Lily after Mrs Beauchamp has treated her."

Cal nodded and got to his feet with Lofty's support. Robyn gave him a tissue and Cal looked at it in surprise before realising he was crying. He wiped his eyes and let Lofty and Robyn help him into the staff room.

"There: you sit there," said Lofty. "I'll make you a cup of tea, and Robyn, maybe you can call Ethan?"

Robyn sat beside Cal and held his hand as she dialled. She held the phone to her ear and waited. "Ethan, it's Robyn. Please can you call me as soon as you get this? I need to talk to you about something. I'm sorry, but it's urgent."

* * *

Ethan was beginning to regret trying to drive. He was drowsy and dizzy and he knew it wasn't really safe, but his only thought had been to get to Sophie as quickly as he could.

He waited a while to see if the feeling would pass, but to his concern, it was getting worse. His reaction times seemed to be slow – he was hooted at for taking too long to drive off at a roundabout – and his hand didn't move as quickly as it usually would when he changed gear. He also had a fuzzy feeling in his head.

It was no good, thought Ethan. For the safety of the other road users, he would have to park the car and either walk or get a bus or taxi. But the road he was on was no-stopping and when he finally turned into a road where he could park, there were cars all along the road on both sides and he had to keep going.

He was still driving, searching for a legal and safe to park, when he felt a bump. He was thrown forward. At the same moment, he heard the shattering of glass.


	35. Chapter 35

_Thank you to **CasualtyFanForever81** for the idea for Lily's accident - and to everyone who is reading this. I'm so happy so many people are enjoying it. I'm afraid there's no Lily in this chapter, but she arrives at the hospital in Chapter 36._

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. Ethan is in much better shape than Lily, but I'm afraid that doesn't mean he's okay...

 **Tato Potato** , Cal definitely has enough to worry about without Ethan being hurt too! Sophie did very well, especially as it was probably her fault. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , thank you for your reviews of the last two chapters - don't worry: it's easy to miss chapters. I'm glad you liked Ethan's wishing - unfortunately, it kind of came true! I'm not sure if Ethan or anyone else will learn in this story... if the characters learned from their mistakes, there would be no more stories to write! Cal definitely doesn't need the stress of Ethan being injured.

 **Tanith Panic** , I try not to quote - I read lots of medical sites/books till I think I understand it, then I put it into my own words (or the characters' words). I'm sure you're no more gruesome than most Casualty fans! I think you're right about Lofty - he knows better than to believe everything Robyn tells him, but occasionally, she's right! Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , I'm sorry for making you worry again! It was silly of Ethan to drive when he was ill - I love him when he puts other people first, but it does get him into trouble in my stories! Thank you for your review.

 **sarahmichellegellerfan1** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

 **ETWentHome** , I'm glad you like cliffhangers! I usually try to avoid them with stories that aren't updated daily or every couple of days, but sometimes I can't resist! Cal does care about Lily - I'm glad that's coming across. Thank you for your review.

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , I'm glad you found the latest update - it is easy to miss them, but the advantage is that you now have two updates in one day! I hope you enjoy them. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Cal paced up and down the staff room, ignoring Lofty's entreaties for him to sit down. Cal still felt weak and dizzy, but sitting still was an impossibility. Lily was hurt. Sophie was hurt. Ethan had disappeared. In a matter of minutes, Cal could have lost the three people he cared about most.

The depth of his feelings for Lily came as something of a shock. A few days ago, he'd still been in love with Sophie, or so it had seemed to him. Now, the thought of losing Lily made him feel he was on the edge of a precipice and that any moment, he could fall, down and down, into a lonely, loveless life.

She had to be okay. She just had to be. If he lost her, then Cal would be lost too.

"Cal." Lofty put his arm around Cal and moved him firmly back to the sofa. "Sit down. Why don't you have some more tea? I know you're terrified, but you know everyone is doing their best for Lily. I'm sure there will be news soon, but you need to sit down and get what rest you can because Lily's going to need all your strength and support."

"She won't need me if I lose her," said Cal, as a tear trickled down his cheek.

Lofty put his arm around him. "I know it's difficult to stay positive and it's hard to believe sometimes that staying positive helps anyone. But you can do this: okay? Lily's strong and she's a fighter. She's not someone who gives up easily. Don't you give up on her either."

Cal wiped his eyes. "And where's Ethan? What's happening to him?"

"If anything had happened to him, you'd have heard by now," said Lofty. "Even now, I don't think they'd keep it from you if Ethan was hurt. It's much more likely that he's fallen asleep and can't hear the phone. If he's taking medication, that might make him sleep more heavily than normal. There are lots of things that could have happened."

Cal picked up his phone from the table.

"Do you want me to phone him for you?" said Lofty, taking the phone from Cal.

Cal nodded. He didn't know if he had the strength to dial again and hear nothing. He waited tensely while Lofty found the number and selected it. He held the phone to his ear, waiting.

"Sorry, Cal," said Lofty. "He's still not answering."

"Where is he?" Cal found he was on his feet, pacing again. He pushed his hands through his hair and tried to blink back more tears. "I'm sure he'd have answered the phone by now. Something must have happened to him." He swung around suddenly, ignoring the way it increased his giddiness, and walked back to the sofa. "Lofty, mate, can you do something for me?"

Lofty looked uncertain. "I will if I can, Cal."

"Go to my flat." Cal pulled the keys out of his pocket. "Go and make sure Ethan's okay?"

"Cal, I would if I could, but I don't know if I can really leave the hospital," said Lofty apologetically. "Everyone's going to be really busy once Lily and Sophie are here: I might be needed."

"Please!" Cal found he was raising his voice. "Please go, Lofty! I just need to know my brother is okay. I can't lose him too."

Still, Lofty hesitated. "I'm not sure you should be here on your own."

"I'm not on my own!" Cal flung his arms wide, accidentally hitting Lofty. "There are people all over the hospital! And if someone gives me news about Lily, I won't be on my own because the person giving me the news will be there, won't they?" He was almost screaming now, unable to stop himself. "You've got to go, Lofty! You've got to help Ethan."

"Cal," began Lofty, but then he stopped.

There were tears pouring down Cal's face. "Please, Lofty. Please go. For Ethan. I wouldn't be asking you if it wasn't important. Please make sure my brother is okay."

* * *

All Ethan wanted was to get to the hospital and be with Sophie, but if he'd just crashed the car, he couldn't very well drive off as though nothing had happened. He might have injured someone. He remembered the bump in the road and shivered. He might even have run someone over!

He turned in his seat, fully expecting the back window to be smashed, but it looked all right. Whatever the smash was, it hadn't come from Ethan's car.

He got out of the car and looked underneath it, terrified of what he might find, but all he found was a speedbump. With a sigh of relief, Ethan turned his attention to the cause of the smash, looking all around him for something broken made of glass.

He saw a boy of about twelve or thirteen leaving the garden of a nearby house. He turned and walked casually towards Ethan, leaving a smashed greenhouse behind him.

It seemed too much of a coincidence that he could happen to be in a garden at the exact same time the greenhouse was vandalised. If he was completely innocent, he wouldn't be leaving.

Though if he was completely guilty, wouldn't he be running away?

 _I'd better stop him!_ was Ethan's first thought.

His second was: _How on earth am I going to do that?_

"Can I get some help over here, please?" he croaked, but he wasn't in a hospital and no-one came running. His voice was so weak, he wasn't even sure the boy would have heard, though he was smiling a bit. It wasn't a nice smile.

Ethan felt a wave of panic and thought briefly about running away, but he reminded himself that running away was Cal's sort of thing, not his. Ethan Hardy never ran away from anything. He faced everything that was thrown at him.

No matter how terrifying.

He planted himself in the boy's path. "Um, excuse me." He stopped to cough. "Um, could you stop, please?"

The boy sneered as he walked towards Ethan. "Give me one reason why I should."

"Because you just threw a stone at that nice greenhouse over there," said Ethan nervously. "And I really don't think the owners would appreciate that very much."

The boy moved closer to Ethan and stopped inches away, his face thrust close to Ethan's. His eyes were glinting and Ethan caught a whiff of stale breath. He was nearly as tall as Ethan and Ethan thought his original estimate of his age might have been out by a few years.

"Oh, yeah, posh boy? And what are you going to do about it, eh?"

Ethan thought that was a fair question. He had absolutely no idea what he was going to do about it, but he thought he'd better do something. "I-I'm going to make a citizen's arrest!" he said at last.

The boy laughed. "Go on. Just you try it."

"Right," said Ethan, who didn't really feel as though he could get out of it now. "I… um…" He took hold of the boy's arm. "I, Dr Ethan Hardy, arrest you in the name of, um… the Law?"

The boy laughed. The next second, he pushed Ethan out of the way and started running. Ethan's bottom hit the hard pavement and his head smacked against his car. He thought he might have blacked out for a minute: by the time he lifted his head, there was no sign of the boy.

Ethan tried to stand up, but his head was swimming and his bottom hurt quite a lot too. He decided to stay where he was while he worked out what to do.

He should probably phone the police to report the vandalism and give as good a description of the boy as he could, but he was not looking forward to explaining his failed attempt at a citizen's arrest, and any kind of interview with the police could take time. It was time he wasn't sure he had, considering what might have happened to his girlfriend. Sophie was much more important than some stupid house made out of glass.

Then he looked at the greenhouse again and was immediately flooded with guilt. A crime had been committed. The owners of the greenhouse would want to know what had happened and Ethan was the only person – apart from the perpetrator – who could give any kind of answer to that question. It was his duty to report it to the police and assist with their enquiries as much as he could.

Ethan couldn't leave. He had to stay here and do his duty.

But what about his duty to Sophie?

Ethan put his hands to his head and tried to think. _Okay, she should be at the hospital now so someone should be able to give me a report on her condition. Lofty would tell me. So I'll phone Lofty first, then I'll phone the police. It's only a little delay and this is a matter of life and death…_

He felt in his pocket for his phone, but it wasn't there.


	36. Chapter 36

**Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. Ethan is anxious to get to the hospital as soon as possible, but I'm afraid he won't be getting there in this chapter...

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. I love it when Cal worries about Ethan too - let's hope Ethan appreciates it a bit more in this story!

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , I hope your internet is still okay! Only one update today, but there is a bit about Lily's injuries. Thank you for your review.

 **sarahmichellegellarfan1** , thank you for your review - I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

 **EDSidekick** , I'm glad you liked Ethan's attempted citizen's arrest - thank you for saying I've captured his character. I don't think you're cruel - I think it's quite normal on fanfiction to enjoy Ethan being hurt. I'm sure it's all part of our desire to protect him! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , don't worry: I won't get Lofty fired! There's too much going on already. The thing about Lofty is he can't resist a knight in distress. I'm glad you like the citizen's arrest. The thug-brat does need dealing with though. Thank you for your review.

* * *

As soon as Lofty had departed, Cal got to his feet. He went to the door of the staff room and peered out, just in case Lofty was still there, but there was no sign of him. He left the staff room, walking slowly, trying to look as though he was in no particular hurry. He would rather have run, but then he'd be almost certain to catch up with Lofty and he couldn't risk that.

As he passed the nurse's station, Robyn caught sight of him and hurried after him, telling him he needed to go back to the staff room, but Cal was determined. "No, Robyn. I need to be here when Lily arrives. Even if she's unconscious, I can tell her I'm here. It might do nothing, but it might help in some way so it's worth a try, isn't it? And then maybe I can treat Sophie and she might be able to tell me what happened."

"I really don't think you should ask Sophie what happened," said Robyn. "She's injured and she's probably really upset. We need to calm her down, not try to make her remember things that are going to make her even more upset."

"Okay: I'll treat her and keep her calm," said Cal.

Robyn shook her head. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Cal. Obviously, it isn't my decision, but you're upset and shocked. Sophie needs someone who can reassure her and treat her – not someone who's too upset to do his job. You're too distracted, just like I'd be if it was Max or Lofty who was seriously injured." She touched his arm gently. "I'm really sorry, Cal. I understand that talking to Sophie might reassure you, but she's the one who's been in an accident and we need to focus on what she needs."

"Then can I just be there for Sophie as a friend?" said Cal desperately. "Till Lily needs me? Sophie does need friends too. I don't know where Ethan is: he's not answering his phone and Sophie doesn't have any other friends in Holby." His voice rose. "I've got to do something, Robyn! I can't just sit in the staff room and wait. I need to do something or I'll go crazy. Please, Robyn. Don't send me back there."

Robyn looked very doubtful, but at that moment, the doors burst open and a patient was wheeled through.

Cal stood frozen for a few seconds as he realised who it was, but then he lurched forward and grabbed hold of the trolley. "Lily!" he gasped, shaking from head to foot. "Oh God, Lily!" Tears began to stream down his face. "Lily!"

"Dr Knight! Staff room," said Connie briefly, her attention on what Dixie was telling her.

Cal hung onto the trolley, helping to move it towards Resus. "Lily, I'm here! It's Cal!" he said, over the sounds of Dixie's voice. He looked at her and his head swam. She didn't even look like Lily anymore. Her head and neck were immobilised and she was swathed in bandages. She looked tiny. Her skin was grey. She looked like a small, broken doll who'd been painted the wrong colour, but she wasn't a doll. She was a human being. She was Lily Chao. His _girlfriend_. "Lily… baby…" He remembered that Lily didn't like to be called that. "I mean darling… please be okay. You've got to hang on for me. I think I love you… No, I _know_ I love you."

"Dr Knight, if you care anything for Lily, please step aside now!" said Connie icily.

Cal felt Robyn take his arms and pull him away from the trolley. He watched through his tears as the trolley went past him. Robyn put her arms around him, turning him away from the trolley, but that meant Cal could see over her shoulder towards the girl who was walking through the ED entrance, supported by Iain. Her arm was in a sling and there was another dressing on her cheek. "Sophie!"

He wanted to say more, but he felt Robyn's restraining arms and heard her whispered: "No, Cal."

She looked up and met his eyes and he saw calm expression, but he knew that wasn't really what she was feeling. She wouldn't be calm when her best friend could be about to die. Cal didn't doubt her control was feigned. By now, it was probably hanging by a thread.

"Sophie…" said Cal, too soft for her to hear.

Robyn kept hold of him. "You can talk to her after she's had treatment."

Zoe appeared and motioned to Robyn, who moved Cal gently out of her way as she listened to Iain's report. "Cubicles, please, Iain. Sophie, I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Zoe: I'm one of the consultants. So, you're saving lives again? I bet you're looking forward to working in a hospital. Perhaps then you'll get some peace and quiet!"

But Sophie didn't seem to hear. Her face didn't change as she hurried after the trolley and placed a hand on it, ignoring Connie's instructions to get out of the way. "I'm sorry, Lily. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. Try not to worry, okay? You're in good hands with Mrs Beauchamp. Please get better, Lily. I love you and Cal loves you and we just want you to be okay."

* * *

Ethan stood staring at the door that had just been slammed in his face. He sighed, rubbed his aching head, and staggered back down the path.

He'd knocked on four different doors asking for help now. Two hadn't answered, one had said they didn't want to buy anything, thank you, before shutting the door, and although this woman had initially been keen to help, she'd changed his mind on hearing his 'ridiculous' story.

Ethan crossed the road and went back the other way, but those houses all seemed to be empty too. His head was spinning and he felt ready to collapse. He knew he really ought to sit down and rest, but the longer he took to find help, the more chance there would be of the vandal getting away with it – and the longer it would be before he was with Sophie. She was his girlfriend and she needed his support. It wasn't as though anyone around here needing a doctor - excepting possibly for Ethan himself.

Actually, he decided, he would go to the hospital now. He'd done his best to find help, but without access to a phone, there was nothing he could do, and his girlfriend being in a car accident was most definitely an emergency.

Maybe he could write a note and explain what had happened and why he had to leave. The people who owned the greenhouse might be annoyed with him for leaving rather than reporting the crime, but if he included a description of the vandal, that might help the police to track him down and arrest him.

Ethan collected a notebook and pen from his car and went into the garden with the smashed greenhouse. There was a brick inside the greenhouse, just under the broken window pane that had obviously caused the damage and Ethan looked at it, feeling a lump in his throat as he wondered why some people had to be so horrible. The boy had gained absolutely nothing from this, apart from a few seconds of enjoyment; of power. The poor people who owned the greenhouse would now have to spend money fixing it, all because of one person's cruelty.

Into Ethan's fevered brain came the thought that they might have trouble affording a new pane of glass. The house wasn't that large and he knew that some of the houses along this road were council houses. Ethan hated to think of the shock and misery they would feel on discovering the damage. A closer glance revealed that one of the plants had been hit by the brick too and the stem had snapped, leaving several flowers lying on the greenhouse floor.

Ethan's eyes filled with tears. He did tend towards emotional fragility when he was ill, but he really felt as though this was a genuine tragedy. His desire to go to Sophie didn't waver, but he felt he couldn't leave without doing something to help. He reached into his pocket for his wallet and counted out a hundred pounds. He had no idea if it would be enough or not, but he opened the greenhouse door, went inside and put the money under the brick so it wouldn't blow away. Then he sat down and wrote a note about seeing the vandal run away, but being unable to stop him in his weakened condition. He wrote his name, address and phone number and put the note with the money.

He had some trouble standing up again as he was feeling very dizzy, but he managed to get back to his feet and stumbled out of the greenhouse into someone's arms.

As he felt on the point of collapsing, he was grateful to be caught, but then he realised the hand holding his arm was hurting him and he slowly lifted his head to meet the stern gazes of two policemen.


	37. Chapter 37

**Gillian Kearney Fan** , Ethan is certainly behaving suspiciously, so he might well be in trouble! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you like the way the drama's building up - this was the original prompt for the story, so it's good to get here at last! Lily certainly isn't in a good way, as you'll find out. Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , one thing I love about Ethan is that he really wants to help people and he'll do more than most people would. But in this case, yes, it has backfired! I think you're right about Cal. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , Ethan is very sweet, but it is a very unusual thing to do - to some people, anything unusual is suspicious. Cal is struggling - but he hasn't run away yet. Thank you for your review.

 **sarahmichellegellarfan1** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

* * *

Zoe led Sophie into a cubicle and helped her onto the bed. "I'll have a look at your wrist first, then I'll book you in for an x-ray. Can you tell me how it happened?"

To her surprise, Sophie lowered her head and didn't answer.

"Did you fall onto an outstretched hand? Did you receive a heavy blow to the wrist?" prompted Zoe.

"I… fell," said Sophie awkwardly.

Zoe raised her eyebrows. There was obviously a bit more to this than she'd imagined. Her first instinct said domestic violence, but that thought lasted barely a second. After all, she knew Sophie's boyfriend very well. "Were you hit by the car?"

Sophie hesitated. "No. I wasn't."

"Well, that's one good thing," said Zoe. She waited, but no more information was forthcoming. "Okay. Did you jump out of the way when you saw the car coming?"

"I didn't see it coming," said Sophie.

Zoe suppressed a sigh. Doctors usually made terrible patients and it seemed aspiring doctors were no exception, but she couldn't really blame Sophie. She'd had a terrible shock. "Okay, Sophie. I know this is difficult for you, but I need you tell me exactly what happened so I can make sure I'm giving you the right treatment. I realise you're very distressed, as we all are, but if you want to be there for Lily, I need to treat you as quickly as possible and that's going to be difficult if you don't tell me anything."

"I… I don't want you to think badly of me," whispered Sophie as her eyes filled with tears.

"I can't imagine ever thinking badly of you," said Zoe. "I heard you were a bit of a heroine – again! How could I ever think badly of you?"

Sophie started to cry.

Zoe rubbed her shoulder. "It's okay, Sophie. You're safe now. Mrs Beauchamp is doing everything she can for Lily and I'm going to help you. Would you like me to call Ethan?"

"He's not very well," wept Sophie. "And I don't want him to hate me too."

"Sophie, why would anyone hate you?" said Zoe. "Ethan certainly won't hate you. He loves you and you've been so good for him. He's happier and more confident than he's ever been, and that's made him into an even better doctor. And it's not your fault Lily got hurt."

"Because it was my fault,!" cried Sophie. "Lily only got hit because she was pushing me out of the way. She only needed to push me out of the way because I was being stupid. And now she's hurt and it's all my fault!"

* * *

Connie had treated colleagues before. The simple fact was that accidents happened and while ideally, you didn't treat anyone you were close to, you couldn't send someone with a suspected tension pneumothorax to St James' just because you felt some sort of vague maternal instinct towards her.

Connie set to work, giving orders, her voice calm and confident. There were many injuries that needed treating, but their immediate concern was the suspected tension pneumothorax. This could be confirmed with a radiograph, but there was no time. They had to act now – or lose a very promising doctor. If Lily went into cardiac arrest, which would happen if she wasn't treated quickly, there would be little hope of bringing her back.

The monitor beside Lily's bed showed the expected tachycardia and hypotension. They could see the distended veins in Lily's neck and hear her noisy, shallow breathing.

Connie told her team in a steady voice that she would perform a needle decompression and began to list what she needed. Lily was already receiving oxygen, but the correct site needed to be located and prepared. This was done quickly, as it always was – as it had to be – but it seemed longer because it always did when it was someone you knew.

Connie watched as the site was cleaned with povidine solution and prepared the needle. Her first task was to relieve the tension, but this wouldn't solve the problem. It would only buy them time. Connie just hoped it would be enough.

She inserted the needle into the second intercostal space at a 90 degree angle to the chest wall, just over the third rib. If she got it even slightly wrong, she could hit a major blood vessel or even the heart – but Connie Beauchamp seldom got anything wrong. Once the needle was inserted, she stopped and listened. For an agonising microsecond, she thought nothing would happen, but then she heard the rush of air.

Connie removed the needle, leaving the catheter in place, and disposed of the needle. The catheter was secured with tape and they all waited to see if the tension was relieved so Connie could insert a drain to suck the air from the chest.

But the tension hadn't been relieved.

For once, Connie had failed.

* * *

"Oh, thank goodness," said Ethan, wheezing slightly. "I don't have my phone so I've been knocking on doors."

The policeman gave him a suspicious look. "How about we go and sit in the car and have a little chat?"

"That would be brilliant. Thank you," said Ethan. "I'm really not feeling very well so I think sitting down would be a very good idea."

The policemen were very kind. They seemed to realise he was a bit wobbly. They both held his arms, helping him out of the garden and into their car.

"What's your name?"

"Ethan Hardy."

"Perhaps you'd like to tell us what happened in your own words, Mr Hardy."

"Oh, it's 'Doctor'… Dr Hardy… but it really doesn't matter," said Ethan, beginning to get flustered. He pressed a hand to the back of his head, which was hurting. He could feel a lump, but when he checked his hand, there was no sign of blood.

" _Dr_ Hardy?" The policeman looked a bit, well, cynical. "If you don't mind me saying so, you don't look old enough to be a doctor."

Ethan smiled. "Oh, thank you very much. That's very kind of you. I'm actually a senior registrar."

The policeman gave him an odd; perhaps he wasn't used to good manners. "So how about telling us what happened, _Dr_ Hardy?"

"Oh, well, I suppose it all started when I was in bed, listening to the radio," said Ethan. "I heard a report of an accident in Holby High Street."

"All right, Dr Hardy. Try to keep it on topic, please. I'm a patient man, but if I show you respect, I expect to receive a little in return."

Ethan gasped and coughed a few times. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to sound disrespectful. Did I start the story too far back? I'm afraid I do tend to babble sometimes. Okay, I was driving along, looking for a place to park."

"So, you know someone who lives round here, do you?"

"No, I don't," said Ethan, "but I wasn't feeling very well – I have tonsillitis - and I realised I shouldn't be driving so I decided to park the car and call a taxi."

"Why were you driving if you were unwell?"

Ethan hesitated. "I'm very sorry to mention it again, but my girlfriend Sophie is shopping in Holby High Street with her friend Lily, who's a doctor. I heard on the radio that a pedestrian was hit by a car and treated by a doctor at the scene." He stopped and coughed into a tissue. "Excuse me. I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't be out of bed, but I couldn't get Sophie or Lily on the phone so I started panicking that Sophie was the one who was injured. So I decided to drive to the hospital to find out what had happened, but I felt unwell, as I said."

"That's quite a story, Dr Hardy."

Ethan smiled and rubbed at his aching head. "There usually is quite a story where Sophie is involved."

"Can I ask where your car is now, Dr Hardy?"

Ethan pointed through the windscreen. "That's my car."

The policeman nodded over to his shoulder to his colleague, who was sitting in the back seat. He started speaking into his radio.

With some shock, Ethan realised he was checking he really did own the car. He rather shakily continued. "As I parked the car, I heard a smash. I thought at first that I'd been in an accident. I'd felt a jolt just before the crash, but it turned out I'd just run over a policeman. I'm so sorry: I mean a sleeping policeman. Obviously, I would never run over a real policeman or anyone else!"

He laughed nervously and waited for the policemen to join in, but they didn't. Ethan swallowed painfully and continued.

"I got out of the car and I saw the greenhouse and a boy running away."

"You saw a boy running away."

Ethan nodded. "I tried to make a citizen's arrest, but he pushed me over and I hit my head on my car. I have a bump on the back of my head. I imagine I also have bruises on my, um, well…" Ethan blushed. He had to mention all kinds of body parts as part of his job, but when he wasn't working, it all became rather embarrassing. "I landed in a sitting position so I imagine I have… bruises."

The policeman looked over his shoulder at his colleague again. "Anything?"

"Dr Ethan Hardy is the owner of the car."

"Can I see some ID, Dr Hardy? Your driving licence, perhaps?"

Ethan coughed some more and got his wallet out of his pocket. He showed his driving licence.

"Thank you very much, Dr Hardy. You do appear to be who you say you are and it's also clear you're not very well. But there are a few points in your story that worry me."

Ethan leaned back against the car seat, his eyes closed. "I'll be happy to assist you as much as I can, but I really need to get to the hospital."

"All in good time, Dr Hardy," said the policeman. "The first thing I'd like to know is: why did you leave money in the greenhouse?"


	38. Chapter 38

_I really hope the literary stuff isn't too obscure. It's a famous work, but I haven't mentioned the most famous part._

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Ethan really needs to go to the hospital - let's hope he doesn't end up somewhere else instead!

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , Ethan is doing his best to co-operate, but I'm not sure the police believe him! I thought Sophie needed to be treated by a kind doctor. Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , I love Ethan to bits, but he's so sweet and earnest, I think some people find him slightly odd and when a crime has been committed, his behaviour probably could seem suspicious! But he is just trying to help as you said. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , it's so lovely you can imagine Ethan's storyline happening in an episode - anyone who knows him would know it was ridiculous, but he is adorably eccentric! Even Connie fails very, very occasionally. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I love Ethan's lovely intensity, but I've always worried it could get him into trouble. I think you're right about Zoe - her mistakes make her perhaps not the ideal wife, but they do help her to be a brilliant doctor. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , of course I won't kill Lily off! I would never, ever, ever kill off a major character. Except that's not true because I have. I think you're right about Ethan - he wouldn't hurt anyone except his brother! Thank you for your review.

* * *

Lofty unlocked Cal and Ethan's flat. "Hello? Ethan? It's Lofty."

There was no reply, but Lofty hadn't expected one. He shut the door behind him and went into the living room. Ethan wasn't there, but his phone was. It was plugged into a socket, a light showing that it was fully-charged with a couple of missed calls showing on the screen. Lofty took it off charge and switched off the socket. He didn't always remember things like that at home, but he knew Ethan was very fussy about things like that. He'd heard him nagging Cal about it.

Though Ethan himself was guilty on this occasion...

Lofty left the living room and walked towards Ethan's room, only to stop as he heard voices.

 _He's got a visitor_ , thought Lofty.

He smiled. Ethan and his friend were discussing medical procedures. How typical. Something about slings. Slings and arrows of outrageous fortune...

And something about arms, which certainly fitted with slings. Arms against a sea of troubles.

Lofty frowned. He thought Ethan's conversation was a bit weird sometimes, but it was nothing in comparison with this guy. And he was just going on and on...

A thousand natural shocks... was he talking about defibrillation now?

Perhaps that was why Ethan hadn't heard the phone. It was quite a distance from his room and this guy was almost shouting, like he was on stage or something.

Lofty knocked on the door and called Ethan's name, but there was no response. He pushed open the door - really quite nervous about coming face-to-face with Ethan's friend - only to discover the room was empty.

But there was a radio beside the bed.

Lofty felt like an idiot - but that was nothing new and he really felt more worried than anything. Something wasn't right. Ethan might forget his phone was on charge, but Lofty couldn't see him forgetting about the radio. Also, the bed was in disarray. Lofty had obviously never been to bed with Ethan, but he could imagine Ethan was the type who never went out without making his bed first.

Lofty switched off the radio but left the bedclothes alone.

He was convinced by now that the flat was empty, but he checked the other rooms, flinching slightly at the state of Cal's. Lofty's own room wasn't particularly tidy, but Cal's needed a good clean.

Perhaps it wasn't surprising that Ethan was the one with the girlfriend.

But the real mystery was where Ethan had gone now.

He must have left quite suddenly if he'd left the radio on, his bed in a mess and not even thinking to collect his phone. Even if it was still charging when he'd left, it had probably had enough charge to be useful.

So what could have made him leave so suddenly?

Lofty considered himself to be on the slow side, but he got there quite quickly this time. It was likely that Lily's accident had been reported on the radio. If the report had given Ethan reason to believe that Sophie was involved, he would want to get to the ED as quickly as he could. He would be in too much of a panic to think about phones and radios and bedclothes.

Perhaps Ethan was there right now.

Feeling slightly more cheerful, Lofty headed for the front door. But then he stopped.

If Ethan was at the ED, how come Cal hadn't phoned to let Lofty know?

* * *

"I left the money to help pay for the damage," said Ethan.

"Why did you feel the need to do that?" asked the policeman.

Ethan wondered if it would be all right to ask if he could have a throat lozenge. "I know that some of the houses round here are council houses. I started worrying that they might not have the money to repair the greenhouse and I wasn't sure if it would be possible to catch the boy and make him pay. So I left some money to pay for it. I don't know if it's enough or not, but I hope it will help."

The policeman sighed. "It's more than enough, Dr Hardy. If you'd added another £50, you could probably have bought a whole new greenhouse – though perhaps not a very good one."

"I wouldn't know," said Ethan. "I live in a flat so I don't have a greenhouse."

"Okay, so why didn't you phone the police about this young criminal?"

Ethan hung his head. "I left my phone at home. I was in a panic about Sophie and I'm not very well so I suppose I just didn't think of it. I knocked on a few doors, but most people didn't answer and when they did, they either thought I was selling something or they didn't believe me."

The policeman nodded. "It is certainly quite a far-fetched story, Dr Hardy."

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Ethan admitted with a laugh. "In fact, I wouldn't blame you at all if you thought I'd thrown the brick."

The policeman didn't laugh. He looked steadily back at Ethan.

"Oh my goodness!" said Ethan. "You do think I did it, don't you? I'm so sorry. I didn't realise. Is there anything I can do to-" He stopped and began to cough.

"We should probably continue this conversation at the station," said the policeman.

* * *

Cal jerked the curtains roughly aside to reveal Sophie and Zoe.

"Cal, do you mind?" said Zoe. "I might have been conducting an intimate female examination."

"I can only wish," muttered Cal – though not quite quietly enough as he earned himself glares from both women. "Sophie, what did you mean when you said it was your fault Lily got hurt?"

Sophie was still crying. She didn't answer.

"Cal, I don't think this is the time or the place," said Zoe. "Go to the staff room and I'll let you know as soon as there's any news."

Cal sat on the bed beside Sophie and seized her uninjured hand. "Sophie, please. Tell me what happened."

Zoe touched his arm. "Cal, maybe it's best if you don't ask Sophie now. I need to treat her; get her sent off for an x-ray…"

"This is my girlfriend we're talking about," said Cal in dangerous voice.

Zoe looked confused. "I thought Sophie was Ethan's girlfriend. Don't tell me you've swapped again."

"Sophie is Ethan's girlfriend!" said Cal. "But Lily's my girlfriend and… and…" His voice broke. "I could be about to lose her. I love her and I haven't even told her and now I might never get the chance!"

* * *

Connie removed the second needle. She knew it wouldn't show on her face, but she was silently praying her second attempt would work. Sometimes you did need two tries. Sometimes more. But the longer it took…

And needle compression could in itself cause complications…

No. She wouldn't think of that. Lily was just another patient.

Lily was tachycardic, tachypnoeic and hypoxic. Her blood pressure was dropping. She could go into shock at any time and then…

The needle compressions were necessary. They could be the difference between life and death for Lily.

"Tension not relieved."

Connie had two choices. She could insert a third needle or give up.

In other words, there was only one option.

Unless...

She didn't think it had been done in the ED before, but there was certainly evidence to suggest it could work...

"Okay, I'm going to try the fourth or fifth intercostal space," said Connie. She quickly listed what she needed, including a a 3.25-inch fourteen gauge angiocatheter.

Her assistants reacted with surprise, but without delay. They didn't question her. They wouldn't dare, of course, but Connie knew they also trusted her completely.

If she messed this up...

No. She couldn't even think about messing it up.

Connie identified the fourth intercostal space at the anterior auxiliary line and prepped the area. She placed the needle just above the rib, perpendicular to the skin.

She'd never done it before, but she had confidence in her ability – and little confidence in Lily's failing strength.

It was a risk, but any surgical procedure was a risk. If Connie had a problem with taking a chance, she wouldn't be in this job.

The fact that she was taking a chance with a valued colleague was something she couldn't consider.

If she did, it could prove fatal. Both for her career and - much more importantly - for Lily.

* * *

Ethan breathed deeply as he tried to fight back nausea. "I'm sorry, but I'm feeling quite sick. I'm afraid I might have to get out of the car. I don't suppose there's any fluid coming from my ears? Either blood or clear fluid?"

The policeman gave Ethan a suspicious look, but obediently looked at both his ears. "Nothing wrong with them as far as I can see."

"That's a relief," said Ethan. "But I'm feeling a bit drowsy and dizzy as well. It might be my tonsillitis, but it might be a cause for concern, particularly as I was hurt deliberately."

"Ah yes: by the boy you saw running away."

"Yes," Ethan gasped out before pushing open the door and falling to his knees on the pavement. He breathed deeply a couple of times as his stomach seemed to turn somersaults. "I'm terribly sorry to be such a nuisance, but I really do think I need to go to hospital."

"Yes," said the policeman drily. "To see your injured girlfriend."

"No – well, actually, yes – but I'm afraid I have the symptoms of a head injury," said Ethan weakly. He tried to use his hands to hold his head up, but his arms seemed to have lost all their strength. "It's vitally important that I get it checked out." He closed his eyes. "You can come with me, of course. You can arrest me once I've been assessed, though it really would mean a lot to me if you could at least let me enquire whether Sophie... Oh my goodness. I really do feel terrible. I'm so sorry."


	39. Chapter 39

**Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you like the way I write Lofty - I really want to do justice to your favourite! I'm not sure Cal would agree about Ethan always being polite when under stress, but I love his politeness.

 **EDSidekick** , unless I'm planning on killing Lily and breaking Cal's heart for the second time in one story, Connie's chance procedure really will have to work! I'm glad you like the way I'm writing Ethan. Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , the police don't know Ethan as well as we do - his story about Bonnie was far-fetched too! I can't remember if we found out if they believed him then. Cal really will be frantic! Thank you for your review.

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. Ethan is definitely going to have a few more problems before he gets into the hospital - though whether it's what you're thinking, I can't say!

 **ETWentHome** , Cal will definitely struggle to cope when he's so worried about everyone. Even when he's not injured, I make him suffer! Interesting idea about Lofty: I'll include that! Poor Ethan does sound crazy. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Cal felt Sophie wrapping her arms around him as they both cried. Cal felt glad of the comfort but no more. It no longer excited him to be held by Sophie because his heart belonged to Lily.

"Cal, are you sure you want to know what happened?" said Sophie, when at last their sobs had died down.

Cal sniffed. "I think I do. I'm sure it would upset me, but I kind of feel like… I want to know everything about Lily. Even if it hurts."

"Would you like some privacy?" asked Zoe gently. "It would help me to hear what happened to you, Sophie, but if you'd rather just tell Cal…"

Sophie didn't answer for a moment or two and Cal knew she was fighting to keep control. "I think it's best if you know, Zoe. It wasn't Lily's fault."

"I'm sure no-one blames either of you," said Cal.

"It was my fault, Cal." Sophie sniffed. "I'd just bought some new shoes."

Cal was confused, but Zoe nodded understandingly and patted Sophie's hand. "I know how distracting that can be."

In other circumstances, Cal would have smiled because Zoe was completely serious.

"I knocked over a whole rack of shoes in the shop," said Sophie. "I thought after that, the very least I could do was buy some."

Zoe looked interested. "What a good idea. I never thought of that."

Sophie turned quickly to Zoe. "I didn't do it on purpose."

"No, of course not," said Zoe quickly. "But I congratulate you on seizing the opportunity with both hands."

"Don't you mean both feet?" said Sophie, smiling slightly as she blinked her teary eyes.

Zoe laughed. "Of course I do. So, are you going to show me your shoes… I mean, are you going to tell us what happened?"

Sophie's smile faded. "I was really happy that I'd got the shoes in such a virtuous way."

"Yes, I would be too," said Zoe.

"I got a bit over-excited," said Sophie. "I… I…" Her eyes filled with tears. "You're going to hate me."

Cal's chest tightened, but he tried to smile. "I can't imagine that. How could I hate my future sister-in-law?"

Zoe gasped. "Are you and Ethan… no, sorry. Not relevant. I mean, take your time and I'm here for you."

"No, we're not engaged," said Sophie. "Cal just likes to tease us."

Cal thought about asking Zoe if she'd heard anything about Ethan, but he decided he didn't want to give Sophie something else to worry about.

"I… I went dancing into the road without looking where I was going," said Sophie. Her gaze seemed to be directed at Zoe's shoes, but Cal had the feeling she wasn't seeing them at all. "There was a car coming. I didn't see it. Lily pushed me out of the way."

Cal's voice was hoarse. "And left herself in the way. And it hit her. And it nearly killed her. While you…" Cal took a few shaky breaths, but they didn't calm him. His next words came out as a scream. "HOW COULD YOU BE THAT STUPID? YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THE GREEN CROSS CODE? She could DIE, Sophie. Don't you understand that? She could die."

* * *

Lofty raced into the ED and grabbed hold of Max. "Is Ethan here?"

"Haven't seen him," said Max, with a shrug. "Cal's working. Mrs Beauchamp's working. Zoe's working. Not that I was looking out for her or anything. I just, you know, happened to notice her. The way you happen to notice most doctors. Maybe it's his day off."

"He's off sick," said Lofty. "But I think he came here."

Max was looking confused. "Why would he come here if he was sick?"

Lofty didn't point out that sick people were quite common in the ED. It would be a bit unkind and probably irrelevant. "I just went to his flat. He wasn't there, but he'd left the radio on and he hadn't made his bed."

Max shrugged. "I'm always doing that."

"Yes, but this is Ethan," said Lofty.

He watched the concern increasing on Max's face. "Do you think maybe someone called him about Sophie?"

"No, because when Cal tried to call him, he didn't answer," said Lofty. "He left his phone behind too."

Max's eyes widened in shock. "He went out _without his phone_? How could anyone go anywhere without their phone?"

"Well, I'd probably leave mine at home too if it was pink," said Lofty.

Max groaned. "Lofty, you idiot. That's not Ethan's phone. It's Sophie's. She must have left it there. Ethan's probably got his phone with him like any sensible, normal person."

Lofty was about to point out that Sophie was a sensible, normal person, but he realised Max's opinion of Sophie wasn't important right now. "If Ethan's got his phone with him, why isn't he answering it?"

* * *

"Tension reduced."

The nurse's voice was almost completely professional, but Connie heard the relief and felt it too. She also felt elation that the procedure had worked – but only for a moment. Only for the tiniest moment. There was still work to be done.

Connie located the mid-auxiliary line and instructed the nurses to prep and drape the area. When it was ready, she made an incision along the upper border of the rib. She didn't flicker so much as a glance towards Lily's face. She wouldn't have done this in any case, but if she couldn't see Lily's face; if she couldn't see any signs that this was the highly promising young doctor she'd come to care for, perhaps then it would be easier.

She slid her finger quickly into the opening.

"Clamp, please," said Connie, holding out her hand. Someone gave her the curved clamp and she inserted it into the muscle tissue, using her finger to develop the drain track. Once the track came onto the rib, she angled the clamp and continued.

Once she'd reached the pleural cavity, she inserted her finger and felt for pleural adhesions.

 _Just another pleural cavity_ , she told herself as she moved her finger around the lungs, heart and diaphragm.

There were no pleural adhesions, but still no time for relief. "Tube, please."

A large-bore chest tube was placed on her extended hand. Connie mounted it on the clamp and passed it along the track. The last hole of the drain needed to be inside the thoracic cavity, but if it went too far, it could damage the mediastinum.

But she could do this, Connie reminded herself. She rarely caused damage. There was no reason to assume she would today.

Once the tube was in place, she connected it to an underwater seal with moderate suction to allow air to escape through the drain. Connie needed a chest x-ray to confirm placement and position, but she was confident it was correct.

She stepped back and looked at Lily and felt an ache in her own chest.

She'd probably saved Lily's life, but there was so much more she had to do.

* * *

Ethan leaned back against the front seat, his eyes closed. He was beginning to wonder if he was hallucinating.

He decided he probably was, but he wasn't sure which part he'd hallucinated. The report on the radio, the encounter with the vandal; becoming a suspect himself... they couldn't all really have happened, could they?

He hoped it was the accident that wasn't real. He could cope with being attacked and arrested (though he would prefer it not to happen too often), but he didn't want anything to happen to Sophie.

"I love her," he mumbled to himself.

"Did you say something, Dr Hardy?"

Ethan tried to think, but his head felt all fuzzy. "I'm not sure. I don't think I meant to. I was just thinking about Sophie. I hope she's the hallucination."

There was a short silence. "Dr Hardy, have you been taking any drugs?"

Ethan's eyes snapped open. "Of course not!" he said, shocked. "Drugs are illegal and they're bad for you too."

The policeman sighed. "I meant prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs, Dr Hardy."

"Oh, right. Yes. Of course. I'm sorry," said Ethan. "I'm having paracetamol and throat lozenges."

"And you don't think you've taken more than you should?"

"I don't think so," said Ethan.

The policeman sounded confused. "Then why are you concerned about hallucination?"

"Because I have a temperature," explained Ethan. "I do hallucinate sometimes when I'm not very well. Once I heard a noise outside my door and I opened it and Cal - he's my brother - was doing something rather naughty with a goat. So I asked him what he was doing with that goat, but it was actually a girl and she got really offended. She had bits of her hair twisted up and curled round like horns and I got confused. Then another time, I got up in the middle of the night and Cal was doing the ironing. He never does that! " Ethan dropped his head into his hands. "Oh gosh, I wish Cal was here." He frowned. "Which proves there's something wrong with me."

"Yes, Dr Hardy. We're inclined to agree with you about that. Why don't you rest your voice for a bit? I'm sure all this talking can't be good for you."

Ethan was flooded with guilt. "I'm so sorry. Am I rambling? I do that sometimes." He closed his eyes. "I hope I remembered my compass. I do have a map, of course, but sometimes I feel that's cheating. A compass makes it more authentic somehow. Once Sophie and I got lost on a walking holiday and she said she'd brought her compass and I asked to see it and she showed me the kind of compass you use for drawing circles. She said it was the compass of her heart and I said she was missing the _point_." Ethan laughed and made himself cough. "And she said her career as a navigator had obviously gone west and I said..." Ethan stopped. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can remember what I said."

"It's all right, Dr Hardy. Let's just assume it was hilarious and leave it at that."


	40. Chapter 40

_Thank you for all the reviews and encouragement with this story. It's amazing to have over 200 reviews!_

 **ETWentHome** , I'm glad you found Ethan's 'rambling' rambling funny. Between his temperature, his anxiety and his natural inclination to ramble, I thought it would probably be realistic. It was brave of Sophie, but I think it could take Cal a while to appreciate that. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , I'm so glad you liked the ending. That was a late addition to the story, but probably the most fun scene to write. I would get distracted by the shoes too. I think Zoe and Connie should have more shoe conversations and say where they got them from! But I doubt that would be allowed. Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you enjoyed it. Poor Ethan... we're so mean to him. You'll find out in this chapter if he's on his way to the hospital or not...

 **CasualtyFanForever81** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you're enjoying the storyline. I'm enjoying it too - I hope I'm doing justice to your idea.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I suppose Ethan can be a challenge when you're not used to him. I'm sure he'll be mortified later! I think Cal will regret shouting later, though that doesn't change the fact his points were valid.

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , don't worry - all reviews are welcome and appreciated at any time. Zoe is a great character and I hope she gets a comedy storyline on the show soon. Thank you for your review.

* * *

"Dr Knight!" said Zoe sharply.

Sophie was crying. "No, he's right, Zoe. He's right. And she could die. She has a suspected tension pneumothorax. Mrs Beauchamp's treating her, so she'll have the best chance anyone could, but this only happened because I was being a stupid, thoughtless, smug little-"

The curtain opened. "Would you mind keeping the… ah. Zoe. So there is a doctor in here. Two doctors, in fact. Forgive me for not realising."

"Sorry, Dylan," said Zoe. "They're upset about Lily."

"I'm also upset about Lily," said Dylan. "I imagine you are too. But we're not screaming."

Cal wasn't screaming now. He was crying too hard to scream. He felt Sophie touch his hand, but he pushed her away.

"No, but I might scream if you don't go away and let me do my job," said Zoe. Then she smiled. "It's okay, Dylan. I've got this."

Dylan looked doubtful, but given the choice between leaving them alone and helping to comfort Cal and Sophie, he chose the former.

Zoe waited until the curtain was closed again. "It's very sad about Lily, but it was an accident. We all do stupid things all the time. Usually, we can get away with it, but occasionally, it leads to something terrible. Sophie, you did a stupid thing, but so did Lily. She is a doctor and her natural instinct was to help, but she also knows she mustn't put herself in danger in order to save someone. She most definitely, without a doubt, put herself in danger."

"Are you saying it's Lily's fault?" demanded Cal harshly.

"No, I'm not," said Zoe. "I'm just saying there are lots of factors to consider. We can't blame everything on Sophie. She got caught up in the moment. Has that really never happened to you, Cal?"

"Yes, of course it has, but I've never actually put someone in danger," said Cal.

"Then you're a better person than I am," said Zoe. "I've done a lot of stupid things that have hurt other people. You know I have. But we're not talking about me. Cal, think how you'd feel if one of the stupid things you did had led to Lily being hurt. Think how Ethan felt when he was in that crash. The fact is people do stupid things all the time, but most of the time, we get away with them. That's why we're not careful. It's not because we're too stupid to see the risk. It's not because we don't care about hurting people: we care very much. It's because we know it's 99.9% certain not to matter."

* * *

Connie checked the IV lines and gave the order to increase the epinephrine in an attempt to raise Lily's blood pressure.

No. Not Lily. This wasn't Lily. This was a patient.

There were units of blood on standby, but Connie was hoping they wouldn't be needed. She saw Jacob give her a concerned look, but she ignored it. There was no time to worry about herself – and no time for Jacob to be concerned.

A head injury hadn't been ruled out and pelvic, tibial and fibular fractures had been suggested by the paramedics. There were clearly no open fractures, but unstable fractures remained a possibility - and an unstable pelvic fracture was of particular danger given its proximity to major blood vessels, nerves and the digestive and reproductive systems.

Now the pleural effusion was being dealt with and Lily… _the patient_ 's respiration was improving, the possible head injury became Connie's priority. There was no watery blood – or any other substance – coming from Lily's ears or nose, which was a positive sign, but Connie knew she couldn't assume. She gave the order for a CT scan. As she turned back to L… to the patient, she noticed the clock.

A thought went through Connie's mind even as she checked the monitor again.

How was it possible that so little time had passed?

* * *

Cal was still trying to calm down when his phone rang. When he saw who it was, he nearly cried again with relief. It was Ethan. He was safe. He would let Cal know where he was and then Cal would be able to tell him about Lily. He knew Ethan would be upset as Lily was his friend, but he would know what to say to comfort Cal. He would give Cal a bit more hope than he currently had and remind Cal if all the medical facts that seemed to have vanished from his mind now he was no longer a doctor but a terrified boyfriend.

"Ethan, I'm so glad you called!" said Cal, his voice breaking. "I've been so worried, Lofty told me you weren't at-"

"Is that Caleb?" said a voice Cal didn't recognise.

Cal's relief instantly turned to panic. "Oh God, what's happened to him? You've got to tell me: he's my baby brother!"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you where the owner of the phone is, but I found the phone in the car park of the flats I've just moved into." He named the block and gave the number of the parking space in which it was found: Cal's parking space, as it happened.

"Yes, that's where we live," said Cal. He swallowed down his panic and attempted to think clearly. "Thanks for calling, mate. I really appreciate it. Could you do something for me? Could you check to see if Ethan's car's there? It should be in the space to the left of the space where you found the phone."

"No: the parking space to the left is empty," said the man. "What would you like me to do with the phone? Shall I hang on to it? I'm at No. 8 and I should be around all day."

Cal thought and decided that was probably best. There was no chance of reuniting Ethan with his phone until they knew where Ethan was – and there was no advantage in Cal having the phone. "If you wouldn't mind. Thanks. No. 8, you said?" He looked around for a pen and paper.

"Here," said Sophie, and shoved both into his hands.

Cal kind of wanted to throw them across the room, but he knew that would be childish. He quickly scribbled down the number. "Thanks, mate. I'm not sure when I'll be able to get away – I work for the Holby City Emergency Department and I'm still on shift – but Ethan or I will collect it as soon as we can."

* * *

Ethan had a feeling the policemen might be holding on to him because they still wanted to arrest him, but he was grateful all the same. He really did feel very dizzy.

He felt his knees buckle and he instinctively grasped onto the policeman for more support. "I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"It's all right, Dr Hardy." The policeman put his arm around Ethan's waist. "Nearly there now."

"Ethan!" Max was running towards him, cigarette in hand. "Are you okay?" He looked at the policeman. "Are you ill or injured or just under arrest?"

"Um, all of the above?" said Ethan uncertainly.

The policeman shook his head. "Dr Hardy isn't under arrest. He's assisting with enquiries, but he's suffered a head injury and he said he needed to come to the hospital. We're assuming he knows what he's talking about."

"Max, how's Sophie?" said Ethan. "Was it her who was in the accident? Is she okay? I tried to phone her, but she didn't answer."

"Sophie's phone is charging in your flat," said Max. He glanced at the policeman. "Though maybe you shouldn't ask how I know that. Sophie's a bit shaken up, but that's all I know. Lily's the one who was seriously hurt, though your clever girlfriend provided first aid at the scene _again_."

"Oh, thank God.. no: I don't mean that!" said Ethan. "I'm sorry. I have a temperature. It's terrible about Lily. Can I see Sophie now?"

"You should probably get your head checked out first," said Max.

Ethan coughed a couple of times. "No, I'm sure... no, you're right. Max, could you bring me a wheelchair and a bowl, please?"

Max gave his cigarette a regretful look and then dropped it onto the ground, extinguishing it with his foot.

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Ethan. "You're on your break."

Max winked. "Yeah, but I should have finished ten minutes ago. Oops, maybe I shouldn't say that in front of the police. Back in a minute."

Max was good as his word. He helped Ethan into the wheelchair, put the bowl on his lap and wheeled him into the hospital where Dylan was waiting.

"Dr Keogh, this is Ethan Hardy, aged about 15 from the look of him; I think he's hit his head doing something illegal," said Max. "Pulse…" He grabbed Ethan's wrist. "…fastish. Resps a bit wheezy. GCS... something or other. BP is… probably pretty low considering there aren't any hot babes around. At a guess the only thing he received at the scene was a slapped wrist."

"Max, I suggest you do what you do best and keep quiet," said Dylan.

"I wouldn't say I'm best at being quiet," said Max. "Have you forgotten all the times you complained about the noise when I used to stay over on your boat?" He looked at the policemen. "My wife… well, ex-wife…. though technically still wife… used to live with him. In a completely platonic way. And I'd stay over and we'd make a lot of noise together. Just me and her, I mean. Dylan didn't join in. His dog did sometimes… well, when I say it joined in, I'm not actually talking threesome bestiality here..."

Dylan glared at him. "Max. Just leave. _I'll_ push the wheelchair. You go and do something useful like keeping out of my way. Ethan, perhaps you could tell me what happened?"


	41. Chapter 41

**CasualtyFanForever81** , I made Ethan ill so he couldn't give the opera singer CPR, but it's proving very useful in keeping him out of the way and making him far more stupid than he would usually be! And if it's cute as well, that's a bonus! Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , thank you for your review. I'm also glad Ethan is getting treatment at last - but I'll keep him away from Cal for a little bit longer. Ethan won't be impressed with Cal's treatment of Sophie - and we know what Ethan's like when he's not impressed!

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm glad I made you laugh - I don't want to make light of Lily's situation, but I didn't want to lose the comedy completely. I hope Dylan has more of a sense of humour than he lets on, but he won't show it if he can help it! Thank you for your review.

 **Gingersnaps2507** , thank you for your review. That's a really good idea. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do much with it without dramatically altering the scene, but I've mentioned it in this chapter and there will be more in the next one.

 **EDSidekick** , I'm glad I was able to cheer you up. Max's handover was fun to write and so is poorly Ethan. It's good to know Cal is now convincingly in love with Lily with no lingering feelings for Sophie - that had to happen for Lily's sake so I'm glad I managed it. Thank you for your review

* * *

Cal was pacing.

As he was still in the cubicle with Zoe and Sophie, he didn't have very much room for pacing, but he wasn't letting a little thing like that stop him. His girlfriend was seriously injured, his little brother had disappeared and his future sister-in-law was possibly about to become a murderess.

If anyone had any reason to pace, it was Caleb Knight.

"Cal, do you think you could do that outside, please?" said Zoe.

Cal stopped pacing and stared at her. "Why would I want to go outside?"

"Well, you could have a cigarette," said Zoe, who was turning Sophie's wrist this way and that with more than moderate success and only a small number of ouches. "I'll give you one of mine if you like. Wouldn't you like that? A nice, _free_ cigarette?"

Cal had to admit it was tempting. If anything could remove just a fraction of the stress and terror and devastation he was feeling… But he shook his head. "Thanks, but Lily doesn't like me smoking."

"I'm sure she'd let you off just this once," said Zoe coaxingly.

"She might," said Cal. "But whatever happens in Resus, Lily's going to need me and I don't want our first kiss after she wakes up to be full of tobacco."

"So, you're staying here," said Zoe, with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

"Looks that way," said Cal.

"Great," said Zoe.

* * *

Ethan looked at Dylan in slight confusion. "Why can't you send me for a scan now?"

"Because we have a patient in Resus who needs it more," said Dylan. "The timing of her scan depends on the progress of her treatment, but we are keeping the scanner clear for now."

Ethan nodded understandingly, but then he had a horrible thought. "The patient who needs the scan... is it Lily?"

"Oh, of course I'm going to tell you that," said Dylan. "What does patient confidentiality matter? Or the fact I haven't even been in Resus?"

Ethan bit his lip. "Whoever she is, I'm glad you're prioritising your care."

"I'm so pleased you approve, Dr Hardy. I wouldn't have been able to sleep at night if you didn't. Now, tell me if this hurts." Dylan started prodding Ethan's neck.

"Oh my God!" shouted Ethan.

"How bad is it on a scale of one to ten?" said Dylan.

Ethan was shaking. "About a ten. It's awful, Dylan. I feel really… I've got to…"

He started to get up from the bed, but Dylan grasped his shoulders firmly. "You don't have to go anywhere. You've already got a bowl."

Ethan wondered what the bowl had to do with Cal.

"So, you have a pain in the neck," said Dylan.

"A lot of the time, yes," said Ethan. "But now…"

Dylan actually looked almost worried. "You've been experiencing pain in the neck for some time? And it's worse following the injury you sustained today?"

"What?" said Ethan blankly. "What does my injury have to do with Cal?"

"Nothing!" said Dylan. "But we're talking about your injury, not your brother."

"Oh. Are we?" Ethan shook his head apologetically. "No. I'm sorry. I was talking about my brother. I've just remembered Lily is Cal's girlfriend."

"I suppose it would be rather difficult to keep track of all your brother's girlfriends."

"No: he really cares about her," said Ethan. "If he knows about her accident, he's going to be distraught. If he doesn't know… well, he needs to know as soon as possible. Please examine me quickly so I can go to him, Dylan."

"What about this problem with your neck?" said Dylan.

"I'm sorry, Dylan. There must be some misunderstanding," said Ethan. "I don't have a problem with my neck."

Dylan looked impatient. "You told me you had a pain in your neck."

Ethan was horrified. "Oh gosh. I'm so sorry. I thought you meant Cal. I don't have a literal pain in my actual neck. I just mean Cal can be a pain in the neck."

"Everyone says you and Cal are very different, but sometimes I wonder," said Dylan.

"Does Cal know?" said Ethan. "About Lily?"

"How could I possibly know what Dr Knight does and doesn't know?" said Dylan.

Ethan looked at Dylan in rising horror. "He does know, doesn't he? And he is distraught. I'm sure Sophie is too. I'm so sorry, Dylan, but I really have to go."

"And you'll be a lot of use to them if you collapse at their feet," said Dylan. "If you'd just lie down and be quiet and actually let me treat you, maybe you will be able to see them before the next millennium."

Ethan closed his eyes. Even if it didn't take until the next millennium, it was probably going to seem that way.

* * *

"Cal!" exclaimed Zoe in annoyance as Cal jogged her elbow. "Either sit down or go away."

"Sorry," said Cal, and carried on pacing.

Zoe sat back from cleaning Sophie's cheek. "Cal, I'm serious. "If you jog my arm again, I could end up making Sophie's injury worse."

"Well, Sophie made Lily's injuries worse, didn't she?" burst out Cal.

Sophie started to cry.

"Now look what you've done!" said Zoe. She gave Sophie a tissue. "Try not to cry, sweetheart, but if you must, try to wipe your tears away before they start running down your cheek. You know what they say about getting salt in a wound. Well, actually, rubbing salt into a wound can help prevent infection, but there are much less painful and more reliable ways of doing it than with your own tears."

"I wish Ethan was here," wept Sophie. "I know that's bad. I know he's not very well. But I wish he was here."

"Yeah, well, we can't all get what we want!" said Cal. He threw himself back down in his chair.

"But Ethan must be on the way, mustn't he?" said Sophie. "Or how could he have dropped his phone in the car park?"

Cal sighed. He would do anything to know Ethan was on the way. He'd do the washing up without complaining for a week. He'd give up alcohol. Hell, he'd even forgive Sophie if that was what it took. "I just want him to be all right," he said, as he started to cry again. "I want both of them to be all right. Is that too much to ask?"

"It shouldn't be," said Zoe sadly. "But life can be so unfair, Cal. One thoughtless moment and then…" She returned her attention to Sophie's cheek. "All you can do is keep hoping and try to support each other. Whatever the events were that led up to this, you're hurting. And you both need support."

Cal put his head in his hands. "Why didn't he just stay at home? Why didn't they all stay at home?"

"That's the power of the shoes," sighed Zoe.

"What: you seriously think Ethan is out buying shoes?" said Cal.

"No, I didn't mean-" Zoe stopped as the curtain was pushed aside to reveal Max.

"Cal, I thought I heard your voice." Max was smiling and trying to act as though there was nothing wrong, but Cal could see he was on edge.

Though he usually did look like that when he was in close proximity to Zoe.

"What's up?" said Cal.

Max hesitated. "I don't want to upset you, Cal," he said awkwardly. "I can see you're upset already. But.. well…"

Cal felt himself beginning to shake. "She's dead, isn't she?" He threw himself at Max's feet. "Please, Max! Please tell me she isn't dead!"

"Lily's not dead," said Max.

"Don't say that!" said Cal. "Tell me the truth."

"I am telling the truth," said Max. "As far as I know, and I admit I don't know very much, Lily is not dead."

Cal realised he was on the floor with his arms around Max's knees. He quickly let go. "Oh. So you came here to see Zoe then."

"No!" said Max, a horrified look on his face.

"Thanks a lot, Max!" said Zoe.

"I mean… the thing is…" Max dragged his hand through his hair. "It's best if I just say it, isn't it? Cal, it's nothing to do with Lily. I'm really sorry, but Ethan's been brought in. As a patient."

Cal and Sophie leapt to their feet simultaneously. "What happened? Where is he?"

Zoe bent quietly to pick up the bag that had fallen off Sophie's lap. While she was down there, she had a closer look at Sophie's shoes.

"He's in Cubicle 2," said Max. "I don't know what he's been up to, but the police brought him."

Cal and Sophie clutched each other's hands. "Oh my God!" they both said.

"I've got to see him!" said Sophie.

"I'm seeing him first!" said Cal.

Zoe sighed. "Sophie, I'm still treating you."

"But Ethan's hurt!" wailed Sophie.

"And so are you," said Zoe. "I'm sure you don't want to worry Ethan and he's going to worry a lot more if he sees you with untreated injuries. Max, who's treating Ethan?"

"Dylan," said Max.

"Okay: I don't think he's going to appreciate either of you barging in," said Zoe. "Cal, why don't you go to the staff room with Max and have a cup of tea? When I've finished treating Sophie, I'll find out the latest about Ethan and I'll tell you both together."

Cal pouted. "He's my brother. I should know first."

"If that's your attitude, I have even more reason to tell you and Sophie together as anyone with your mental age should have an adult present," said Zoe. She opened the curtain. "You'll look after him for me, won't you, Max?"

Max's eyes locked on hers. "I'll do anything for… um, Cal."

* * *

Connie didn't often show weakness. Especially not in front of Rita. But she showed it twice in a matter of seconds. Firstly when Rita held the tablet with the result of Lily's scan and hesitated before looking at it.

Secondly for her reaction when she finally did look.

"It's clear," she whispered, feeling not exactly teary, but much closer to being so than she usually permitted herself to be.

Rita smiled and nodded. "It's clear."

"We'll book her in for an MRI scan in about a week to check for focal lesions," said Connie. It wasn't something she'd usually worry about, but this was Lily. It was, Connie told herself, not only for Lily's benefit but for the _hospital's_ benefit that she be given the best possible care.

She saw Rita frown slightly.

"Is there a problem, Sister Freeman?"

"No. No problem," said Rita. "I'm pleased Lily is being so well cared-for."

"I'm glad to hear it, considering your job is to care for people," said Connie, and turned away from her. She had no time to spar with Rita. It wasn't over yet. "Right: time for her x-ray x-ray." Like the CT scan, the x-ray would expose Lily to radiation, but she'd already sent some bloods off to determine whether or not Lily was pregnant. It had seemed particularly important given the rumours that Lily had apparently been silly enough to date Cal. Connie had been hoping these rumours were greatly exaggerated, but now all she cared about was ensuring Lily would be okay.


	42. Chapter 42

**Tanith Panic** , exactly: Cal has enough bad habits without Zoe giving him more! I have seen Cal smoke in two episodes, but not for ages, so I'm assuming he's stopped. I'm glad you like Dylan's comments. I love him to bits, but he's not the easiest to write. Oh dear... Cal not forgiving Sophie could make Ethan hate him again. I'll have to think of a way round that! Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , Thank you for your review. I think he might have taken the cigarette if he thought he could get away with smoking it in the cubicle! Now the shoes have sneaked in, I don't think i can sneak them out again! I'm not sure - your medical knowledge is much better than mine - but I think Connie would have tested for pregnancy as she'd want to know as much about Lily's physical condition as possible and be as prepared as she can be for any possible complications such as miscarriage because of the potential physical impact on Lily. She'd also want to avoid a situation where the patient wakes up and asks after a baby the doctor doesn't know about. But if there was a baby and it was miraculously still alive, I'm sure Connie would prioritise saving the mother. So it's a very good thing Lily isn't pregnant or it would be much too sad. Do you think that sounds right?

* * *

As soon as Dylan had left him, Ethan got to his feet and walked slowly over to the curtain. He knew he was being a bit silly, but all he needed was a few moments to hug and kiss Sophie and reassure her that he was fine (if she knew he was a patient) and that he was sure Lily would be fine too. That shouldn't take too long. He should be back even before Dylan had noticed he was gone.

He opened the curtain and looked around. He couldn't see Dylan.

He started walking.

"Ethan! What do you think you're doing? Get back into your cubicle at once!"

Ethan looked around. That was Dylan's voice, but he couldn't see Dylan.

Actually, he couldn't see anything much. Everything was sort of blurry.

 _Glasses_ , Ethan remembered when Dylan had got him back onto the bed with a firm instruction not to move. _That's why I couldn't see Dylan. I wasn't wearing my glasses_.

* * *

 _I will not cry in front of Rita. I will not cry in front of Rita. I will not cry in front of Rita._

Connie turned away from the bed and blinked hard. She thought crying was perfectly reasonable under the circumstances, but no clinical lead liked to cry in front of the clinical nursing manager. Particularly not when it was Rita Freeman.

"Connie." Rita touched Connie's arm.

Connie didn't shudder. She didn't want to give Rita the satisfaction of thinking she was important enough to make Connie shudder.

"It's always going to be emotional," said Rita in that gentle, sympathetic voice that always made Connie want to smack her. Or perhaps just sack her. It was annoying that despite being clinical lead, she wasn't Rita's superior and therefore had no power to sack the most irritating person in the department. A department, moreover, that included Caleb Knight.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that, thank you, Nurse Freeman." Connie was back in control. There was nothing like a bit of annoyance to stop you from crying.

Lily was stable. There was no pelvic fracture. The ulnar fracture was simple and had been set. For now, there was nothing more to be done other than monitor her and wait for her to regain consciousness.

Connie didn't believe in miracles. She believed in working hard at what was achievable and accepting what wasn't. But it felt close to a miracle that Lily was still with them.

Oh, great. More tears. _Just_ what she needed.

Rita started stroking her arm. Her face was kind, but Connie didn't doubt that she was enjoying this.

"Rita, would you give me five minutes?" said Connie smoothly. "I'm overdue for my next lot of eyedrops."

She'd heard Cal using that one. Not that she usually took inspiration from Cal, but she knew that was a good one because she had almost believed him.

* * *

Cal was pacing the staff room now. When it came to pacing purposes, it was much better-equipped than the cubicles. It was much bigger and you could walk from one end of the room to the other without bumping into anything if you looked where you were going.

"I'm sure Ethan's fine," said Max.

Cal swung round to glare at him. Swinging round was better in the staff room too. Much less chance of being told off. "How do you know that? Did you secretly qualify as a doctor when I wasn't looking?"

"No, but I did talk to Ethan quite a bit and he seemed completely normal," said Max.

"Well, that proves there's something wrong with him!" Cal had started arm-waving now. "If Ethan is completely normal, he's not himself!"

"No, that's what I mean," said Max. "He was like his usual self."

Cal stopped pacing and dropped down onto the sofa. "And even if Ethan's okay, what about Lily?"

Max, who'd been sitting at the table out of Cal's way, came over and sat beside him. "I think Lily has a good chance of recovering. Even if she needs a miracle, she'll be okay. This hospital is full of miracles. Especially where the staff is concerned. If this was any other hospital, Zoe, Ethan and Charlie would all be dead. But they're not. It's like we're outside the normal laws of reality or something."

"I'm not completely sure if that makes me feel better or not," said Cal.

"Yeah, it does," said Max. "I just called you a miracle, didn't I? I bet you don't get called that very often."

"I do, actually," said Cal. "It happens all the time in my daydreams. Though it's not usually you saying it."

* * *

 _This is better_ , thought Ethan as he opened the curtain a crack and looked around. He really could see a lot more without his glasses on and this time he could actually see that Dylan wasn't there.

He slipped through the curtain and began to walk.

He realised quite quickly that he didn't actually know where he was going, but if Sophie wasn't seriously hurt, she was likely to be in either a cubicle or the staff room.

He moved up to the next cubicle and listened.

"Oh God: I think I'm going to be-"

Not Sophie and not really what he wanted to hear. Ethan moved on.

"Oh, Louise!" moaned a voice.

"Oh, Charlie!" was the panting response.

Ethan stared at the curtain with his eyes and mouth open.

He tried the next cubicle. His head was spinning, but he decided that was Louise and Charlie's fault. His mind was certainly boggling so it was understandable that his head would spin too.

"Congratulations, Sophie!" That sounded like Robyn. "You're pregnant!"

Ethan didn't think it was his head injury that made his knees buckle. He sat in an undignified heap on the floor. _I'm going to be a dad! I'm going to be a dad!_

He wanted to go in and hug his girlfriend, but he didn't think he could stand up.

In any case, if Sophie was pregnant, Ethan wanted to propose so he might as well stay on his knees.

He lifted the curtain and prepared to crawl underneath it.

Another voice spoke. "Is it… is it… is it mine?"

"Of course it's yours, Dylan! How can you even ask me that?"

Ethan dropped the curtain again.

Then he heard another voice. "Ethan, are you okay?" Lofty knelt beside him.

Ethan found he was close to tears. "Sophie's having a baby with Dylan. And did you know about Louise and Charlie?"

Lofty looked very concerned. "I think you'd better go back to your cubicle, Ethan. It's okay. I've got you." Lofty helped him to his feet and took him back to his cubicle. "Stay there and I'll go and get Dylan. Okay?"

"Okay," whispered Ethan. As soon as Lofty had left, he let his tears fall. "And when I see Dylan, I'm going to kill him!"

As he cried, he heard a voice from the cubicle on the opposite side to the nauseous one.

"It's going to be okay, Honey. I promise. I love you."

"I love you too, Noel."

"I know this wasn't how we planned our wedding day, but at least we're together."

Ethan closed his eyes and succumbed to darkness.

* * *

The staff room door swung open and Connie walked into the room.

Cal gasped out loud and clutched at Max. Then he started to feel embarrassed. "I was only pretending to be scared," he said quickly.

"So, having a girlfriend in a critical condition hasn't affected your sense of humour," said Connie.

"Oh, right," said Cal. "On second thoughts, you frightened the life out of me."

"Fortunately, I didn't do the same to Lily," said Connie. "She's still very ill and it's possible there will be further complications, but she's alive and stable."

Cal buried his face in his hands and burst into tears. "I'm not crying! I mean, maybe I am crying. Can I go and see her now, please, Mrs Beauchamp?" More tears fell. "I need to see her."

* * *

Lily was in a shoe shop.

It was a very large shoe shop. The racks stretched up to the ceiling and there seemed only one path between them. It wound round and round. The more she walked, the more she began to fear there was no way out.

But she had to keep going. She didn't know why, but she knew it was important.

At last, she walked past the last rack and found herself in an area full of the fabric-coloured benches where customers sat to try on the shoes they were thinking of buying.

There was only one spare seat. Lily sat down and realised the girls on either side of her were Sophie and a blonde girl Cal had been infatuated with for several months. Lily thought her name was Taylor.

The girls were talking amongst themselves, but suddenly, they grew quiet. Lily looked up to see Cal there, holding a shoe.

"I found this shoe in my bed," said Cal. "I don't remember who it belongs to because I was drunk, but whichever girl it fits gets to go out with me for dinner tonight. Dessert and breakfast will be included."

Lily could tell the other girls were getting excited, but she felt wretched. _Cinderella_ was an uplifting fairytale but an impractical one. There were only a limited number of shoe sizes and hundreds of girls. Lily knew the shoe would fit her, but it was also likely to fit at least fifty other girls. The chances were that Cal would find a girl whose foot fitted the shoe long before he reached her.

But he didn't. Every foot was too big, too small, too wide or too narrow. Then it was Taylor's turn.

"It fits!"


	43. Chapter 43

_I'm sorry it took all day to write this. I've just realised I've got no idea where this story is going, which is proving to be a bit of a stumbling block._

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , I still love Cinderella now, when I'm not so little! I also love Sleeping Beauty, which could also be applied to Lily! But I'm afraid Cal and Taylor's date might be a disappointment. Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , thank you for your review. I was going to have Lofty comforting Cal, but then I saw Max comforting Lofty in the recent episode! I love that you saw so much in the dream sequence - I didn't think about it that deeply, but I think you're right!

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm glad you like the surreal dreams and the unusual pairings! Connie does need to be kinder to herself. I was about to say I wasn't sure it could happen in this story, but I've just had an idea! Thank you for your review.

 **CBloom2** , thank you for your review. The hallucinations should make more sense after this chapter! Ethan would normally be poorly for five days and I think this is only Day 3 - it just seems longer because it's taken me months to write it!

 **ETWentHome** , there was definitely something not right about what Ethan was hearing! I might wake Lily up in the next chapter. Poor Cal's probably suffered enough. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Ethan opened his eyes. Dylan was bending over him, looking rather annoyed, while Lofty stood on his other side, his expression anxious.

Ethan frowned. He had a funny feeling he wanted to punch Dylan, but he couldn't think why.

"Hey, Ethan," said Lofty softly. "How are you doing?"

"I don't know," said Ethan, screwing up his eyes as Dylan shone a light into them. "Could you stop that, please? It's making my headache worse."

Dylan straightened up again. "So you're back with us, Dr Hardy. I don't think there's too much wrong with you: you're unwell and exhausted and all this running about isn't helping. But I'll run a few tests just to make sure."

"I don't think you sleeping with my girlfriend is going to be helping either!" said Ethan, as the memories suddenly came flooding back. He lifted his left hand so he could give Dylan a good punch (he was actually quite good at hitting people), but he felt so weak and dizzy, he let his clenched fist fall back onto the bed.

"I have not been sleeping with your girlfriend," said Dylan.

"Then how did she get pregnant?" said Ethan.

"As you are her boyfriend, I would suggest you know considerably more about it than me."

Ethan felt his eyes filling with tears, which was slightly embarrassing, but his girlfriend was cheating on him and he did feel terribly ill, so he thought he might get away with it just this once. "Stop lying! I heard you talking about it!"

Lofty stroked his arm. "Shh, Ethan. It's okay."

"Of course it's not okay!" said Ethan. "I was looking for Sophie and I heard Robyn telling her she was pregnant and then you asked if you were the father and she said: 'Of course you are, Dylan'.

"And of course, Sophie and Dylan are such rare, almost unique names, it is completely impossible that there might be two more people with those names in the hospital," said Dylan.

Ethan's head felt fuzzy. "I'm sorry, Dylan. I can't quite tell if you're confirming it or denying it and I'd really like to know before I have another go at punching you."

"Ethan. A couple of cubicles away from you is a young lady named Sophie who arrived at the ED, suffering nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, dizziness and fatigue. She was accompanied by her boyfriend, Dylan. Following various tests, we were able to confirm that her only 'ailment' was pregnancy. However, the Sophie in question is not your girlfriend and Dylan is most certainly not me."

Ethan looked at him suspiciously. He wanted to believe Dylan, but it did seem like a bit of a coincidence. "What about Honey and Noel getting married next door?"

Dylan sighed. "What about looking up the word the word 'confidentiality' in a dictionary?"

"Dylan!" said Lofty reproachfully, when Ethan started to get teary again.

Dylan looked a bit panicky. "All right. The man next door is called Noel and he is with his wife, but her name isn't Honey. It's Patricia."

"Then why did he call her Honey?" said Ethan. He looked worriedly at Dylan. "Do you think I need my ears syringed?"

"Don't tempt me," said Dylan.

"Ethan, it's okay," said Lofty. "I heard him calling her 'honey' too. It's a term of endearment."

Ethan felt himself relaxing slightly. "So the Charlie and Louise who were, um, becoming better-acquainted in one of the cubicles are a different Charlie and Louise?" He decided he was quite glad about that.

"No, that was our Charlie and Louise," said Lofty.

"But… they're... he's…" Ethan shook his head. "I know opposites are supposed to attract, but… I think I need to lie down."

"Ethan. You are lying down," said Dylan.

"Oh. Right. Yes. Of course I am." Ethan closed his eyes for a moment. "But you're seriously telling me Charlie and Louise are in a relationship?"

"Of course they're not in a relationship!" said Dylan impatiently.

"Oh my goodness. So they're just… um… you know." Ethan searched for a word that was acceptable for use in a hospital and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Copulation buddies?"

"No, I don't think so," said Lofty, while Dylan muttered: "The sooner we get you in for that CT scan, the better."

"But they were moaning and panting and all kinds of things!" said Ethan. "'Oh, Louise!'. 'Oh Charlie!'. It was really rather disturbing."

Dylan sighed. "Louise offended a patient, who requested a complaints form. Louise went to find Charlie and confessed to him. Charlie is beginning to despair of her; Louise was rather upset. I think you'll find the moan was more of a groan and the panting was crying. Now I've told you the private business of half the patients in cubicles, perhaps you'd let Lofty take some bloods."

* * *

Cal felt himself moving more and more slowly. His body seemed heavy. His feet seemed to stick to the floor. His mind was constantly screaming at him to turn around and go back to Sophie's cubicle.

Connie stopped walking and looked back at him in annoyance. "Do you want to see Lily or not?"

"I don't know," said Cal honestly.

Connie sighed. "Then perhaps you could make up your mind before you waste any more of my time."

"I do want to see her," said Cal. "I really do and I think I ought to. Lily is my girlfriend and I should be there for her."

"Then shall we proceed?" said Connie.

Cal stayed where he was. "But I'm really scared. I love her so much and I don't know if she'll still be Lily."

"She hasn't put in a change of name request," said Connie, but then her expression softened and she walked over to him. "I know it's scary seeing someone you care about in that position. It's completely different from seeing a patient. But you know you can do this, Cal. You saw Ethan in a much worse condition than Lily and you stayed strong. You can do it again for Lily."

"I hope so." Cal wiped tears from his eyes.

"Her CT scan was clear. There is no sign of any injury to the brain. She might be tired and confused and weak, but there's no reason to suppose she won't still be Lily."

Cal smiled gratefully through his tears.

"You'll be fine, Cal," said Connie. "And I'll be there with you."

"Thanks," said Cal.

Connie put her hand on his back and urged him forwards. "Come on."

Now, Cal found he was walking much too quickly. He needed to prepare himself, but they were already outside Lily's room. His body was seized by a trembling so severe, Connie almost looked concerned.

"Cal, it's okay. Take a deep breath for me? No, through your nose. That's it. That's it. And out through your mouth. Good. Can you do that again? Well done. Keep doing that. Now, try to relax. Relax your shoulders for me… that's good. It's okay to be scared. It's natural when someone you care about is hurt. But I know you can do this. I believe in you. Okay?"

Cal laughed shakily. "It's not like you to believe in me, Mrs Beauchamp."

"No, it's not. So make the most of it," said Connie. "I might never say it again." She smiled and rubbed his arm. "Do you feel a bit better now? Then let's go in."

* * *

Lily watched in despair as Taylor lifted her foot in triumph. She looked so beautiful and the fact she could lift her foot to head-height would, no doubt, be very well-received by Cal.

Her eyes filled with tears and she looked away. She only hoped Taylor would treat Cal better this time.

"Now I'm yours," said Taylor. "The perfect fit."

"No," said Cal. "The perfect liar."

There was a collective gasp. Lily couldn't help but turn her head. Cal had caught Taylor's foot in his hand. He wrenched the shoe from her foot. Then he grabbed her foot and wrenched that off too.

There were more gasps, this time of revulsion, but Lily was not squeamish and did not look away. She saw that under Taylor's perfect foot was another foot.

"Finally, I get to see the real Taylor," said Cal mockingly.

He slipped the shoe onto Taylor's real foot and Lily saw it was much too big for her.

"No, Taylor," said Cal. "You're not woman enough for me. Peel back the layers of lies and there's not much beneath it. But I'm not angry anymore. I feel sorry for you. But you're not the girl for me."

He removed the shoe from her foot with a sympathetic but far from loving smile and moved on to Lily.

"I like a girl where what you see if what you get," said Cal. "A girl where, if she pays me a compliment, I know she means it. And if she never pays me a compliment, I don't mind because I still get to be with her. To learn from her. To smile, to laugh, to cry, to share everything with her."

He took Lily's foot gently in his hand and carefully put the shoe on for her.

"And there we have it," said Cal. "The perfect fit."

* * *

"So where are your shoes?" said Zoe. She'd seen – and bought – a lot of pairs of shoes in her forty years, but, she was yet to discover the pair that could be folded up small enough to fit in Sophie's handbag.

Sophie looked around without much interest. "I don't know. I must have left them somewhere."

"You must have _left them somewhere_?" said Zoe, shocked.

"I know it's awful," said Sophie. "But I had other things on my mind."

"Like what?" said Zoe.

"Like the fact I might have murdered my best friend," said Sophie.

Zoe patted Sophie's arm. "Okay. Fair enough."

"If anything happens to Lily," said Sophie, "I don't think I'll be able to look at a pair of shoes again."

"Well, I'll tell you what," said Zoe. "If anyone does bring your shoes to the hospital, I'll look after them for you. If you really don't want them back, I'll take them back to the shop for you and get a refund. And if they don't do refunds, I could always exchange them for a pair in my size. I don't mind doing that at all."


	44. Chapter 44

**EDSidekick** , that's so lovely to know you could picture one of the scenes! Ethan probably is quite lucky he thought Dylan had got Sophie pregnant. It would have been worse if he'd said it to Cal! I agree that making himself go to see Lily would be harder than having Ethan brought to him - and also, he was able to be in doctor mode (mostly) with Ethan. He can't with Lily. I love it when you read things into what I write! I'm thrilled I've written something even vaguely deep, even if it was a complete accident. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I think your writing might inspire some of the dreams I write about - I don't remember writing anything like that before I started reading your stories! You're definitely my favourite fantasy writer. Zoe is a bit obsessed! Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. Ethan punching Dylan might have been quite interesting, but I don't think you're the only person who would have been upset! Yes, Lily's dream was a dream - I'm really glad you liked it. Thank you for your review.

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. I don't think I'm going to make Ethan suffer for too much longer. Zoe certainly loves her shoes! And Sophie's shoes. And Connie's shoes, I bet.

* * *

Cal held out his arms and Lily stood up, ready for his embrace, but it didn't come. She was alone now, but she could still hear his voice. It was soft and trembly and she thought he might be crying, but he didn't stop talking.

It always took a lot to make Cal stop talking.

Lily almost smiled, but then his voice quivered again and she felt sad. She didn't want Cal to cry.

"Lily, I know you might not believe me. I know what a waste of space I've always been and I'm so lucky you gave me another chance and another date and another kiss. But what I'm about to tell you is the truth. I love you, Lily. And I need you to get better because without you, I'll go back to being a waste of space again. I need someone who can tell me where I'm going wrong. I need someone who can make me feel like it's worth trying to get it right. I need _you_ , Lily. Please get better for me. There are so many things you've got to do. Get married. Have babies. Pass your FCEM before I do. You need to get better so you can come back and make all your dreams come true. I just hope you dream about me sometimes because all my dreams are about you. You're even in that recurring dream I have about being naked in Resus. You look at me and I feel three inches tall and then I look down and I realise part of me really is three inches. I hate that dream. But I'd rather dream that dream every night for the rest of my life than not see you again. I love you, Lily. I love you more than saving lives. I love you more than crisp sandwiches. I think I might even love you more than I love myself, and that should tell you something!"

Lily couldn't see him, but his voice was getting closer and closer. She had the sensation that she was the one moving, but she wasn't walking or running. Something was dragging her from one place to another, but it was a nice feeling. An exciting feeling. A bit like riding on a rollercoaster, only with a bit more of a point to it because Lily was actually going somewhere. Somewhere important. Somewhere where she would find Cal, waiting.

Upwards. She was being dragged upwards. Was she underwater? Was she drowning? She didn't know.

Her eyes opened. She realised she was lying on a bed, surrounded by white walls and beeps and a ceiling that did have cracks.

And there he was at last.

Cal.

* * *

Ethan didn't want to go for a CT scan. He wanted to stay right where he was and wait for Sophie, but he reluctantly agreed with Dylan that if he was going to tell Sophie he was fine, it would be better if he knew whether that was true or not.

As he passed the other cubicles, Ethan remembered the voices he'd heard and the conclusions he'd jumped to. He smiled to himself. He knew he'd been silly. Between his complete and total panic and his high temperature, he'd made a lot of very stupid mistakes recently. He wondered if he should share the cubicles story with Sophie later, but women could be unpredictable. She might find it hilarious or she might be offended he'd thought her capable of cheating on him.

Ethan decided to get back to himself on that one.

He hoped the scan would be over soon. He found the scanner a bit claustrophobic. As soon as he was inside it, he felt the walls closing around him. He shut his eyes and tried to persuade he was somewhere nice and safe like his bed. With Sophie beside him.

No. On second thoughts, that might not be the ideal thing to think about. Far too… exciting.

But he did want to be with her.

Literally, that was.

And figuratively, of course. Just not at the present moment.

He didn't think there would be room for both of them in the scanner.

Not that he was thinking of… doing things… with Sophie in the scanner.

Definitely not.

He _wasn't_ thinking about it.

"His resps, heart rate and BP have gone up," said Lofty worriedly.

 _I hope nothing else goes up_ , thought Ethan.

 _My TEMPERATURE, I mean. Just my temperature!_

All he really wanted right now was to hold her.

She must be so worried about Lily. She might be worried about Ethan too, if they'd told her he was here.

Ethan just wanted to hold her in his arms and make her feel everything was all right.

* * *

Cal felt a slight pressure on his hand. He stared at Lily's small hand in his own, wanting to believe it but not quite able to. "Lily? Could you squeeze my hand again? Please, baby. I mean darling."

Lily squeezed his hand.

"Oh, Lily! Oh, baby! I mean oh, darling!" Cal kissed her hand several times, then looked around to make sure no-one had seen him being that soppy. He lifted his head and blinked the tears from his eyes so he could look at her. His Lily. His beautiful, beautiful girl.

Her eyes were open. "Cal?"

"Lily!" said Cal. "Are you okay? Tell me you're okay!"

Lily's voice was weak, but her words were clear. "I hardly think that anyone in a hospital bed could be described as 'okay'. And if you wish to prevent me from becoming any less okay, I suggest you inform the doctor in charge of my treatment that I have regained consciousness."

"You're okay!" said Cal.

Lily sighed. "I hardly think-"

"I'll tell Mrs Beauchamp now." Cal laid her hand carefully on the bed and went to the door. He realised he was crying, but he decided getting help for Lily was more important than his street cred. "Lofty?"

Lofty came over at once. "I've got your keys, Cal. I have got them. I just don't actually have them at the present moment. I put them down for a moment and I'm not completely sure where, but they will be found. I promise."

"Forget my keys!" cried Cal. "Find Mrs Beauchamp!"

Lofty's face changed. "Are you okay? Is something wrong with Lily?" He put a supportive arm around Cal. "It's okay. Tell me what's wrong and I'll sort it."

"I think she's okay," said Cal. "But please just get Mrs Beauchamp."

"Of course," said Lofty, and hurried off.

Cal returned to his girlfriend. "Lily? Are you alive?"

"I should think, as a doctor, you should be able to work that out for yourself."

Cal sat down and took her hand in his. "Lofty's getting Mrs Beauchamp."

"Thank you, Cal," said Lily. "I… I'm glad you're here."

"And I'm glad you're here," said Cal tearfully. "So glad."

* * *

Zoe finished suturing Sophie's cheek and sat back to examine her work. "There you are. That's done."

"Thank you, Zoe."

Zoe smiled. "That's okay. If you go to your GP or to any hospital in five days, they'll be able to take the stitches out for you."

Sophie took a mirror out of her bag and examined her cheek. "You couldn't have done them in purple?"

"Oh, I wish I could have done," said Zoe. "If I did have a choice, I would have offered it to you. But the trouble with purple stitches is they would restrict your clothing choices. White goes with anything. It might not be the most exciting colour, but it probably is the safest. Though I wore white when I met my mother-in-law… well, ex-mother-in-law… though technically still mother-in-law… and that didn't go too well. But that probably wasn't down to the colour of my dress."

"Did you know 'mother-in-law' is an anagram of 'woman Hitler'?" said Sophie.

"No, but that explains a lot," said Zoe.

"Though I'm sure I'd have loved Ethan's mum," said Sophie quickly.

Zoe smiled. "And I'm sure she would have loved you. Even with stitches on your face."

Sophie examined her face from a different angle. "On second thoughts, I think white is probably best. Purple would be more noticeable too. If they're white, there's a chance Ethan won't notice because he's a man and they never notice anything."

"Tell me about it," said Zoe, smiling.

"But I think he would notice if they were purple," said Sophie. "I've trained him to notice all the important colours. Eventually, I'd like Ethan to be able to notice every time I'm wearing a new item of clothing, but I accept it's going to take time. So for now, I'm happy if he just notices the new purple and pink things. I thought I'd try him on blue next. But not till he's better."

Zoe laughed. "Oh, believe me, it does take time with men. But Ethan's worth it, isn't he?"

"Completely worth it," said Sophie, a dreamy look on her face, but it wasn't there for long. "If he forgives me for hurting his brother's girlfriend."

"Knowing Ethan," said Zoe, "I would be far more worried about whether he's going to forgive Cal for shouting at _his_ brother's girlfriend."

Sophie's eyes filled with tears. "I do hope Lily's okay. And Ethan. I know I've been joking and laughing, but that doesn't mean I don't want them both to be okay. That's all I want. If they're both okay, I'll never buy another pair of shoes as long as I l-"

"Careful!" said Zoe in alarm. "Sophie, I know you're upset, but think about what you're saying."

Sophie stared at her. "Are you really saying that shoes are comparable with a human life?"

"Ye- I mean, no, of course not," said Zoe. "But they're fundamental hospital equipment. You don't want to be without your shoes. Even when Max and I used to sneak off to the on-call room in the middle of a shift to… to… um… have private chats about… about, um… literature and art… I didn't usually take my shoes off."

Sophie gave her a knowing look. "So, who is Max's favourite artist?"

"Max's favourite… no, let's not get sidetracked," said Zoe. "Every doctor makes mistakes with their patients sometimes. Sometimes serious; sometimes not. But here's absolutely no way you can get a job in any hospital if you don't wear shoes."


	45. Chapter 45

_I've been trying to write this for ages, but either I've forgotten how to be funny or I've just worked out I never did know how. I hope it isn't too awful._

 **Tanith Panic** , I hope both Ethan's mothers would have loved Sophie! Though maybe it's better if he's not adopted in this reality. I hope I won't forget about Lofty and the keys... Thank you for your review.

 **Tato Potato** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying my stories. I hope everything you're busy with is going well. Cal is with the right girl now, finally!

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , the friendship between Sophie and Zoe kind of came out of nowhere, but I'm glad you like it! Zoe needs a friend now Tess has gone. Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , I hope Cal can forgive Sophie or Ethan won't be happy with Cal! And we've had far too much of that lately. I doubt even Sophie was fooled by Zoe... not after her girlie chat with Robyn. Thank you for your review.

* * *

A hand touched Ethan's shoulder and a voice whispered in his ear. "Ethan? Are you awake?"

"I am now," said Ethan, smiling, as he reached out to put his arms around Sophie. "I've missed you, darling. You smell good." Actually, he couldn't smell anything at all, but Cal had told him it was a good compliment to pay a woman.

"Ethan," said Dylan, "are you _quite_ sure you're awake?"

Ethan opened his eyes. If he'd had enough voice, he might have screamed. As he didn't, he made a sort of croaky gurgle. "Dylan! I'm so sorry. I thought you were Sophie."

"That," said Dylan, "is something of a relief."

Ethan blinked at him. "You want me to think you're a girl? Well, of course, Dylan, you'll have my full support…"

"No, Ethan. I'm relieved it wasn't me you were trying to hug." Dylan retreated to a safer distance. "I have a tablet."

Ethan almost wanted to hug him again. "Thank you, Dylan. A tablet is just what I need. My head and throat are really hurting quite badly."

Dylan looked exasperated. "Not that kind of tablet. This kind. This new-fangled technological kind." He handed it to Ethan. "Now, as you can see – or perhaps as you can't see, considering you don't have your glasses on - your scan is clear. Your brain appears to be in perfect working order." He paused. "I would never have guessed."

"Neither would I," said Ethan honestly. "I have doubts about my brain all the time."

"Quite natural," said Dylan. He opened Ethan's file. "Your blood tests came back normal as well, but as you've suffered a head injury, we'd like to keep you in for a few more hours."

Ethan thought for a moment. "When you say you'd like to keep me 'in', what exactly do you mean?"

Dylan backed away slightly. "Well, I'm certainly not propositioning you."

"Oh, no: of course not!" said Ethan. "I wasn't suggesting you were. I'm so sorry if it sounded like that. I was just wondering if it meant being kept _in_ _bed_ or if it just means _in the hospital_. Because if it does mean in the hospital, maybe I could go and see Sophie and check that she's-"

"It means _in bed_ ," said Dylan brusquely. "So stay there." He turned to leave.

"Oh, before you go, I was wondering if I might-"

"No."

"I really need to go-"

"No."

"It is something of an emergency, Dylan."

Dylan was unmoved. "Everything is an emergency in this department. You're staying in bed, Ethan. In the event of an evacuation, I'll let you get out of bed. Otherwise, you'll stay where you are."

"Well, I wouldn't quite say it was an evacuation," said Ethan, going a bit red. "But it does have certain things in common with certain types of evacuation, if you understand me."

"I think I'd need a phrasebook to understand you," said Dylan. "But you're staying in bed."

"In that case," said Ethan, "please may I have a bedpan?"

* * *

The corridor outside Lily's room was ideal for pacing. You could manage a good thirty paces from one end to the other, though Cal decided it would be better to stick to fifteen paces so he wouldn't get so far away. It should have been perfect for Cal, but after pacing Sophie's cubicle and the staff room, he was feeling tired.

At least, that was his excuse for not pacing. It was nothing to do with a slight shaky feeling that might or might not be in his knees and if there was a slight shaky feeling, it was more likely to be because he hadn't eaten for hours than because he was afraid.

After all, he told himself, in a vain attempt to prove that he wasn't terrified, there was nothing to worry about now. Lily was awake and talking and very much her lovely, gorgeous, beautiful, incredible self.

But Cal knew relapses could happen. He was living proof of that. Whenever he was ill and Ethan said he was ready to go back to work, he quite often had a relapse.

Ethan always found this very annoying. The man just couldn't handle being wrong.

Cal, on the other hand, loved being proved wrong.

He'd thought he'd lost Lily forever. Knowing he was wrong about that was the best feeling he'd ever had.

Even better than that threesome.

Which he was never, _ever_ going to mention to Lily.

* * *

Ethan was lying with his eyes closed, waiting for his paracetamol to start working, when he heard Dylan's voice.

"Ethan, it's Dylan."

Ethan opened his eyes. "Hey, Dylan. Don't worry. I'm not going to hug you."

"And there I was, thinking you liked me," said Dylan. "I have someone out here who wants to see you."

"Sophie!" gasped Ethan, and held out his arms, raising his croaky voice as much as he could. "Come in, sweetheart! I've missed you so much and I'm so sorry I couldn't be with you before. Come here and let me hold you and kiss you and just be with you… literally, I mean, not figuratively."

The cubicle curtains parted and two people entered the room. "We'll pass on the kiss, Dr Hardy, if you don't mind."

Confused, Ethan reached for his glasses and put them on to discover his visitors were the two policemen. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry. I thought you were my girlfriend."

"That's all right, sir. Easy mistake to make when you don't have your glasses on. We were wondering if we could have a quick word."

"Of course you can. I'd be delighted," said Ethan. "Only… I'm terribly sorry, but I'm not supposed to get out of bed for the next couple of hours unless I'm having an evacuation. No! I mean unless the hospital is having an evacuation. An emergency evacuation. You know. In an emergency. So I'm not sure I'm allowed to be arrested just now."

The policeman smiled. "It's okay. We don't need to arrest you. We actually have good news. Not only are the owners of the greenhouse well able to afford a replacement window, they're also able to afford CCTV. We've just been watching a very entertaining video. Seriously, Dr Hardy, that's the most memorable attempt at a citizen's arrest we've ever seen."

"Oh… um… thank you," said Ethan, not sure what else to say.

"So we're heading off back to the station now to have a cuppa and watch that video again before we go out and arrest that little thug. We might need to speak to you again, but there's nothing to worry about. I'm not exactly sure what word I'd use to describe you, but 'criminal' isn't it. Thank you for your co-operation, Dr Hardy, and, of course, for your… noteworthy attempts to assist us in our work."

* * *

Lily looked anxiously up at Connie. "Am I going to be all right, Mrs Beauchamp?"

"You'll live," said Connie, with a smile that didn't quite conceal that that was more than she'd dared hope for.

"But will I be able to work again?"

The question, along with the urgent tone of voice, brought another smile to Connie's face.

 _Twice in twenty seconds_ , thought Lily. _Perhaps I am dead and I've woken up in a parallel universe._

 _Did I, Lily Chao, really just have that thought?_

 _I would diagnose myself with overexposure to Caleb Knight, but following recent research, I'm convinced that would be scientifically impossible._

"Of course you'll be able to work again," said Connie. "But not just yet."

Lily nodded and wished Cal was there.

"Your recovery will be slow and you'll need patience and courage," said Connie. "But I believe you have the second, and the first can be learned. I don't want to give you any time limits and there are of course any number of conditions that must be met before I allow you to come back to work. But once your recovery has reached a certain point, I see no reason why a doctor in a wheelchair shouldn't work in the ED."

"I'm going to be confined to a wheelchair?" whispered Lily.

"Until your leg is fully healed, yes," said Connie.

* * *

"Ethan?" said a whispered voice. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, I'm awake, Dylan," said Ethan. "I'm just... resting my eyelids."

There was a gasp. "Ethan, it's me!

"Is it the police again?" said Ethan. He opened his eyes and saw a blur that could have been anyone. "Sorry. I thought you were my doctor."

"Well, I am _yours_ ," said the voice. "And I hope I'll be a doctor one day. If I don't get banged up."

Ethan stared. Then his squinted. "Sophie?"

"Got it in one," said Sophie. "Or rather three."

Ethan held his arms out. A moment later, he was hugging someone who most definitely wasn't Dylan or a policeman – and he could be completely sure about that as he'd had his arms round both of them for various reasons.

"Oh, Ethan!" Without letting go of him, Sophie sat on the bed and started to cry.

Ethan held her more tightly. "It's okay, darling. I know it must have been terrible, but I'm here now. Or rather, _you're_ here now. I'm so sorry I wasn't clever enough to sneak out and come and find you. I did try, but first I forgot my glasses, then I fainted."

"I love you, Ethan," whispered Sophie through her tears.

"I love you too, darling." Ethan kissed her hair. "And it's okay. I'm, um, well, to use your phrasing, though it is rather, um… anyway, I'm not going to bang you up at least until you're a registrar. And only then if we're still together and you've decided it's what you want."

Sophie stared at him. "Why would I _want_ to get banged up?"

"Oh, well, if you'd rather focus on your career, I completely respect that," said Ethan.

"So, what you're saying is I have killed Lily, but you're going to keep quiet about it till I'm a registrar, then we'll have a discussion about whether I'd rather stay with you or go to prison?"

"Oh… um… no," said Ethan. "I didn't mean that kind of banging up. I thought you meant giving you… um… well… a child. And I meant that I probably shouldn't give you one at least until you're a registrar. Perhaps even a consultant."

Sophie looked at him in horror. "If you really expect me to wait that long, Ethan, maybe I would rather go to prison!"


	46. Chapter 46

**CasualtyFanForever81** , I couldn't keep away from the banter for long, not even with Lily so badly hurt! This chapter is mostly Cal and Lily. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I love Ethan and Dylan (did you know that?) and I wish they had more scenes together. I think it would be completely impossible for the police to bang Ethan up! Thank you for your review.

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. I love Ethan - he is very funny and I'm glad I've managed to capture some of that in my story.

 **CBloom2** , I'm glad you enjoyed the scenes with Ethan and Dylan. I never thought I'd be writing about those two hugging each other! Cal and Ethan will meet in the next chapter... fists could fly! Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you liked all Ethan's mistakes. He probably didn't though! Yes - if Lily's going to be a patient, she needs to be patient. It will also be a useful trait considering she's Cal's girlfriend.

 **EDSidekick** , mushy Cal is the best! Well, one of the best. I'm glad you liked Ethan in the scanner and accidentally trying it on with everyone who came near him. I'd like to see the CCTV footage too. I'm sure Ethan looks adorable. Though when doesn't he? If I were Lily, I'd be surprised if Cal had had only one threesome! Thank you for your reviews.

* * *

"But she's okay?" said Cal, hoping Connie wouldn't notice his voice was shaking. It was a vain hope as she noticed everything, but Cal had been known to get lucky on occasion.

"She's alive and we expect her to stay that way for another fifty years or so," said Connie. "But she has suffered traumatic injuries and surgery so she is mentally and physically fragile at the moment."

Cal couldn't tell if he was more relieved or terrified. "So, can I see her now?"

"Five minutes," said Connie. "No longer."

For a moment, the relief won out, but it was quickly followed by the terror. Cal had seen Lily already, of course, but the idea of walking back into the room and seeing his girlfriend badly-injured still made him feel almost dizzy with fear. It wasn't just that he didn't want to see her hurt. He needed to prove that he was brave enough and strong enough to handle it and he wasn't confident about that at all.

But he didn't want Connie to know that. He mustn't let Connie have any idea of what he was thinking. "Five minutes? Not even Ethan could do it in that amount of time," he muttered. Not that Lily was well enough for anything like that, but it was always good to have some physical activities on standby in case the conversation dried up.

Not that Cal always waited for the conversation to dry up.

Connie looked severe. "Perhaps he wouldn't, but I don't imagine Ethan would be thinking of it if his girlfriend had been seriously injured."

Cal tried and failed to keep his voice light. "Ethan barely thinks about it even when she isn't!"

Connie's gaze thawed just slightly. She put her hand on his arm. "Cal, it's okay to be scared. It's natural. All this pretending to be cool with everything achieves nothing. Apart from making you say the most ridiculous things in an effort to pretend you're not terrified."

Cal groaned inwardly. How did she know? How did she always know? It was like having his mum as clinical lead. Not that Matilda had been really anything like Connie, but she'd always known everything too.

"It's going to take time, but Lily will be all right," said Connie. "And so will you. If you'd like me to go in with you and hold your hand, I'm quite willing to do that. There's nothing to be scared of. It's just Lily."

How the hell did she know he was terrified?

"Thanks, but patients aside, only one girl gets handholding privileges with the Knight," said Cal. "And that's Lily."

"Then you'd better go quickly," said Connie. "Every second you spend trying to convince me you're not terrified is a second wasted."

* * *

Cal walked into Lily's room and sat on the chair beside her. He reached for her hand. "Hey, beautiful. How are you? You look great."

Lily looked tired and sad. "That's difficult to believe. I'm… good. I'm lucky to be alive."

Cal squeezed her hand. "I'm lucky you're alive too," he said with a teasing smile.

Lily didn't answer.

"What's wrong?" asked Cal softly. He stroked her hand and had a quick glance at her monitor, but everything was as expected.

"Mrs Beauchamp says I will be in a wheelchair until my leg is healed," said Lily.

Cal leaned closer to her. "Hey, there are worse things than having your own wheels! I can see why you're not looking forward to it and it probably will seem really strange at first, but I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"I am used to being independent," said Lily.

"Lots of people in wheelchairs are independent," said Cal. "You've just got to adapt, Lily. That's all. And I believe you can."

"But what if I can't?" said Lily, her voice shaking. "What if I can't adapt? And what if I can't get better?" Her hand tightened convulsively around Cal's. "Cal, I-I'm so scared."

Cal watched the tears fill her eyes and felt an ache in his chest. He wished he could hold her; all he wanted was to hold her. And to kiss the fears and tears away.

But he couldn't. Some things couldn't be healed with a kiss. Not even if you were a doctor.

"Of course you're scared, darling," he said, his voice shaking too. "Anyone would be. But you're not alone with this. I'm here and I always will be."

"Even if I'm in a wheelchair forever?" Lily blinked hard against her tears.

"There's no reason to suppose you would be," said Cal. "But to answer your question: yes. A million times yes. I love you, Lily."

"Are you sure you want a girlfriend you might have to care for?" said Lily.

"Lily, if you're my girlfriend, I'll always care for you," said Cal. "In whatever way you need."

Lily looked at him for a moment, then she nodded. "I love you too."

* * *

"What?" Ethan stared at Sophie. "You'd rather go to prison than have children with me?" He blinked rapidly. "That's okay. You shouldn't have children unless you want to. It's fine."

"Of course I want to, one day," said Sophie. "I just don't see how it can be with you."

Ethan's eyes were flooding now. He couldn't speak.

He'd known this moment was coming. A girl like Sophie was never going to be happy with him forever.

But he loved her. He really, really loved her.

"I mean, I'm not a nymphomaniac," said Sophie. "I'm not expecting once a day or even necessarily once a week. I love you, Ethan. I'm willing to compromise."

 _I knew it!_ thought Ethan. _I'm terrible in bed_. _Cal warned me about getting the practice in, but did I listen?_

"But once every ten years is ridiculous!" said Sophie.

Ethan blinked at her in confusion, dislodging several tears which he quickly wiped away. "Sorry. Something in my eye," he muttered. "Hold on. Wait. Who said anything about once every ten years? I'm sure I didn't. On the whole, it's really not an idea I'm completely in favour of."

" _You_ said once every ten years," said Sophie. "At least, you said not till I'm a consultant, which will probably take ten years."

"No, I didn't!" exclaimed Ethan. "I just meant children. I didn't mean… you know… practising the, um, conception method."

Sophie looked sad. "But we haven't done it for weeks, Ethan. Months."

"I was being sensitive," explained Ethan. "You didn't take your clothes off so I assumed you didn't want to."

"Of course I want to!" said Sophie. "I love you, Ethan, and you happen to be rather good at it."

"Really?" said Ethan, quite pleased. He didn't think any girl had ever said that to him before. Though of course, not many girls had been in a position to judge.

Two, in fact.

Including Sophie.

And the other one hadn't had much chance to judge. He'd been in and out in eight minutes.

In and out of her _bedroom_ , that was. To find Cal on the landing with a stopwatch.

"Really," said Sophie. "Would you like me to help you prove it?"

"I'd like that very much," said Ethan, smiling. "Some time when we're not in hospital, that is. It would be extremely inconsiderate to our neighbours."

Sophie kissed him. "You know when I told you I loved you just now?"

"I haven't forgotten," said Ethan dreamily.

"You didn't say it back."

"Oh, didn't I?" said Ethan. "I'm so sorry." He pulled her closer to him and reached up to touch her cheek. "Sophie. Darling. I love y… oh my goodness, Sophie. Whatever happened to your face?"

* * *

Connie opened the door. "One minute, Cal. Then you're coming out."

"Coming out?" said Cal. "That's the last thing I'm going to do!"

Lily looked at him in slight confusion, but the amused glint in Cal's eye told her he was being immature and therefore she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of questioning him. "I hope you'll come back soon."

"Try and stop me," said Cal. "Or rather, don't try and stop me. Not that you'd succeed or anything, but it might hurt my feelings."

"I don't ever want to hurt your feelings," said Lily. She stroked his hand with her thumb. "Unfortunately, I am rather good at that."

"You can't help being good at everything," said Cal. He leaned over and kissed her. A soft, gentle kiss that left Lily wanting more. She watched as he slowly moved away from her and tried to stop himself from smiling. "So, before I go, is there anything you'd like me to get for you? Any messages you want delivered? Anything I can do to make things easier or better?"

Lily smiled. "Just come back soon. That is my only request, Dr Knight."

Cal raised her hand to his lips. "That should be easy enough. I think you'll find I'm very difficult to get rid of, Dr Chao."

"I am well aware of that," said Lily. "Ethan has complained to me about it on numerous occasions."

Cal looked slightly hurt. "Ethan's been complaining about me? After everything I've done for him? The ungrateful little rat: I gave him my girlfriend! Well, if he thinks I'll be doing _that_ again, he's got another think coming. He can't have you!"

"No, he can't," agreed Lily. "Nobody is more off-limits than my boyfriend's brother and my best friend's… oh, Cal! I'm such a horrible person."

"I really can't agree with you there," said Cal. "For the most part, I'm prepared to agree with you about anything on the grounds that you're much more likely to be right than me, but on this occasion, you are completely wrong." His voice softened and he leaned closer to her. "What's up, beautiful?"

"Sophie." Lily felt like crying. "I forgot about Sophie. I didn't even ask if she was hurt!"


	47. Chapter 47

**Gillian Kearney Fan** , thank you for your review. It will be difficult for Lily, but she has a lovely boyfriend who's a doctor, so things aren't as bad as they could have been.

 **EDSidekick** , I think a lot of people see through Cal! I hope being loved will be good for him too. He's so desperate for a affection and gets very little from Ethan. Some of the things Cal comes out with are completely twattish, but he gets away with it for some reason. I think maybe it's because we can see he's lovely really. I love the '8 minutes' too and that's probably why I overuse it! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. I think the misunderstanding could have ruined Ethan and Sophie! Lily can be very caring at times. I think she struggles not just with showing it but with the idea of showing it.

 **sarahmichellegellarfan1** , thank you for all your reviews - I'm glad you're still reading and enjoying the story.

 _Thank you to **sarahmichellegellarfan1** for the follow._

* * *

Cal stroked her hair. "You had other things on your mind, Lily. It's okay. I don't expect my girlfriends to think about other people when they're with me. Oh, and that comment wasn't completely serious, so please don't be upset. But it's okay."

"No, it's not okay," said Lily wretchedly. "She is my best friend. Cal, please tell me she's not badly hurt! Unless she is, of course. I think you should always tell me the truth. But I hope so much that she is okay."

"I think she fractured her cheekbone and hurt her wrist," said Cal. "But she was walking and talking and able to treat about ten casualties at once, so I don't think she's too badly hurt. If it wasn't for the part where she nearly killed my girlfriend, I think I'd be quite impressed. In a future brother-in-law sort of way."

Lily closed her eyes. She saw the car speeding towards Sophie again. She felt the same moment of frozen panic. Perhaps, if she'd been just a little bit quicker… "I was trying to push her out of the way."

"And you did," said Cal. "She hurt herself when she tripped over her shoes and landed on the pavement."

"I thought my momentum would carry me out of the way too," said Lily. A shudder ran up and down her body. She couldn't remember the moment of impact, but she could imagine it.

"Hey, it's okay," said Cal. He stroked her arm. "It's okay. It's over now and you're going to be fine. And I did tell Sophie what I thought of her: don't worry."

"It was not Sophie's fault," said Lily. "She had just justified the purchase of three new pairs of shoes. I have never managed to justify buying more than two pairs and even then my reasoning was rather on the imaginative side."

Cal looked very confused, but he probably didn't understand about buying shoes.

"She was experiencing a moment of very deep emotion," said Lily. "She could not be expected to concentrate well and the car was not obeying the speed limit."

"Of course it was Sophie's fault!" said Cal. "God, that girl makes Honey look like a Mensa candidate. Ethan really knows how to pick 'em."

A faint smile came to Lily's lips. "I don't think she's anything like that bad."

Cal squeezed her hand more tightly but couldn't trust himself to speak.

"She was careless," said Lily. "But a careless pedestrian doesn't necessarily make a careless doctor. As you know. I have seen you walking across the road without looking where you were going."

"Really?" Cal was smirking. "So, you've been watching me, have you?"

"When crossing the road with someone who is inclined to immaturity," said Lily, "it is only sensible to watch them." There was a quiver in her voice as she added: "As I think I proved today."

* * *

Sophie flinched as Ethan touched her cheek. "It's fine, Ethan."

Ethan was inclined to doubt that. "Are you hurt anywhere else, sweetheart?" He made a rapid visual scan. "Your wrist's bandaged."

"It's just contusions," said Sophie. "No fracture. I fell onto my side when Lily pushed me onto the pavement and I suffered a laceration to my cheek and hurt my wrist a little bit. That's all."

"Lily pushed you?" Ethan's voice swelled with outrage. _I will kill her. I will literally, I mean figuratively kill her._

Iit's okay," said Sophie. "She was saving my life."

Ethan's desires to kill Lily instantly became a desire to kiss her – but not like _that_.

"And I really hope she's okay, Ethan," said Sophie tearfully. "I hope she's okay more than anything. She pushed me out of the way and the car hit her and I don't know if she's okay."

Ethan held out his arms. "Come here, darling."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm fine," said Ethan. "I'm just here as a precaution. I might have hit my head just a tiny bit, but I've had a scan and there's no damage."

"But you're ill," said Sophie.

Ethan shrugged. "I wouldn't let being ill stop me from comforting my girlfriend. Unless there was a chance of infecting you with something really serious, of course. But I really am much better now. I think lying down agrees with me. I feel completely fine."

To his annoyance, he started coughing, but if anything, that encouraged Sophie to put her arms around him.

Ethan held her tightly. "I'm sure Lily's okay, sweetheart," he said when he'd stopped coughing. "She had to have a scan of some sort, but so did I. It's probably just precautionary."

"Ethan, she had a tension pneumothorax and query fractured pelvis," Sophie said into his shoulder.

"She wouldn't have gone for a scan until the tension pneumothorax was treated," said Ethan. "So that's obviously okay and it was very clever of you to spot it."

"I could have killed her!" Sophie started sobbing. "And I still might have. And even if she's alive, she might never recover. Not properly. I think she's broken her leg too."

Ethan kissed her hair and tightened the hug. "It's not your fault, Sophie. I'm sure it's not. It's okay."

"But if I hadn't been standing in the middle of the road…"

"It's still not your fault, darling," said Ethan. "It was an accident. Accidents happen. If they didn't, I'd be out of work. And we wouldn't have met. And that would have been terrible."

Sophie sniffed. "I'm not quite following your logic, Ethan."

"That's good," said Ethan. "It is rather shaky, I have to admit. But you can't change the things that have already happened. It's terrible Lily got hurt and it's understandable you're upset about it. But you couldn't have known what would happen. Everyone has moments of inattention and sometimes terrible things happen as a result, but that doesn't make it your fault and it's not going to help anyone if you blame yourself. All you can control is what you do in the future."

"Well, I'm not going to be a doctor. I know that."

"If you really don't want to be a doctor, then you shouldn't be one," said Ethan. "I love you and I'm going to love you just as much no matter what job you do. Or if you have no job at all. But if you're saying that because you feel that your experiences today mean you can't be a good doctor, I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I can't agree with you at all."

"But I caused a serious accident, Ethan," sobbed Sophie.

"So did I," said Ethan.

Sophie pulled away from him. "What?"

"I caused a serious accident," said Ethan quietly. It was one of the few things he hadn't told her. He'd been too afraid of losing her – but he'd got this far and he couldn't change his mind now. "I was driving several of my colleagues in a minibus and I took my eyes off the road and we crashed. Lily might have caused an accident too – she was on her bike, very tired, and a girl stepped out in front of her. Lily wasn't able to stop. We'll never know if Lily's reactions were impaired or if the accident was unavoidable, but it still happened. I don't know about Zoe, Mrs Beauchamp or Dylan, but if Cal has never caused an accident with his reckless driving, I'll be very surprised!"

Sophie took his hand and held it tightly. "Was anyone hurt in the minibus?"

Ethan nodded. "I was probably the most seriously hurt, but I'm fine now. Lily and Connie needed hospital treatment. Another doctor called Ash was quite badly hurt. Tess – do you remember her? She was one of the nurses – was hurt too, though not seriously."

Sophie was still looking at him, her eyes widening slightly. Her hand tightened on his. "Ethan, why do I think there's more?"

"Because there is more," said Ethan. Fear gripped him again, but he knew he had to tell her. "All the passengers got out safely and we all survived. But one of the paramedics went back into the bus. And it exploded."

Sophie stared at him, then she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "It's not your fault, Ethan. It's not your fault."

"But he died, indirectly perhaps, because of me," said Ethan unsteadily. "And in a way, I still blame myself for that."

"Oh, Ethan." Sophie stroked his hair. "It's not your fault, darling. You mustn't blame yourself. You didn't tell him to go back in, did you?"

Ethan shook his head. "I was unconscious. I couldn't have told anyone anything. But if I hadn't looked away-"

"-it could still have happened," said Sophie.

Ethan swallowed and blinked hard. He was supposed to be the one comforting Sophie. "And Lily could have got hurt by the car even if she hadn't pushed you away. Perhaps it seems unlikely to you, but you have no way of knowing what would have happened."

"And you have no way of knowing what would have happened in the minibus," said Sophie. She reached up and wiped a tear from Ethan's cheek. "It's not your fault, Ethan." She held his face in her hands. "It's not, okay? It's not. Even if it had been, I would still love you because I know you'd never want to hurt anyone, but from what you've told me, it wasn't your fault at all."

Ethan controlled his tears with an effort. He had mostly learned to deal with his feelings about the crash, but they did sometimes come back to him when he was upset or exhausted – and Ethan was both. "But anyway. No matter how it happened; no matter how much of the fault is mine, I'm still here and I'm still a doctor. There's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be a doctor too."

"Really?" said Sophie.

Ethan pressed a comforting kiss against her lips. "Really, darling. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but whatever happens, you'll have my support. And my love."


	48. Chapter 48

_Only two more chapters after this - thank you for sticking with this story for so long!_

 **EDSidekick** , I didn't realise it didn't make sense. Do you think I need to change it so it does? I think Ethan probably is more concerned about saying whatever he can think of to reassure Sophie than he is about making sense, but then again, this is Ethan and he likes making sense! Thank you for your review. I'm glad you still liked it.

 **Gillian Kearney Fan** , I'm glad you think the boys are cute when they're in love! All men should be like them! Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , thank you for your review. Ethan is very protective of Cal, so I think he'd be exactly the same on the rare occasions when he has a girlfriend. I'm glad this came across.

 **ETWentHome** , I think you're right about Lily's forgiveness of Sophie influencing Cal - he's protective, but he also hangs on to her every word! I'm glad you liked Ethan telling Sophie about the car accident. Thank you for your review.

 **sarahmichellegellarfan1** , thank you for your review - I'm glad you liked the chapter.

* * *

Once Cal had said a very reluctant goodbye to Lily, he went in search of Ethan and Sophie. Sophie's cubicle was now being occupied by a half-naked lady, which necessitated many apologies on Cal's part and many glares from Zoe, so he guessed Sophie had probably gone to see Ethan.

"Cal!" Lofty came running over to him. He waved something jingly in Cal's face. "I found your keys!"

Cal had forgotten about the keys, but he was glad to have them back. "Great! Thanks, Lofty. I appreciate it, mate."

"They were in the fridge," said Lofty. "I thought I'd look there because that's where Max always puts the remote control."

Cal started to laugh. "Does he? I do that too. It drives Ethan mad. I put it in the washing machine once too. And another time – I was quite drunk – I went into Ethan's room and woke him up and just gave it to him. I thought it was the right thing to do and I couldn't understand why he was so cross."

Lofty smiled sympathetically. "I'm sure he forgave you."

"No: he went back to sleep and forgot all about it," said Cal. "I still haven't dared remind him!"

"Well, he won't hear about it from me," said Lofty. "I'd better go: Rita almost gave me a talking-to earlier. See you later."

Cal quickly put out his hand to stop him. "Wait: do you know which cubicle Ethan's in?"

Lofty looked slightly awkward. "Um, yeah. I actually think the whole hospital knows which cubicle Ethan's in."

Cal frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He and Sophie might have had a slight argument," said Lofty. "Or at least a very loud conversation. About… well… the bedroom."

"The bedroom?" Cal's mind immediately jumped to the sort of thing he used a bedroom for, then he remembered this was Ethan they were talking about and decided Lofty must mean something else. "Do you mean like decorating a bedroom?"

Lofty shook his head. "Not decorating it, no. More like… sleeping together."

"Has Ethan been snoring?" said Cal, very amused. "Or is Sophie a secret snorer? She's one of the few girls who never gave me the chance to find out."

"No, I mean…" Lofty leaned close and whispered into Cal's ear.

"You're joking!" said Cal. "Ethan had a conversation about _that_ in a hospital cubicle?"

"Yes, he did," said Lofty. "And I heard everything."

Cal felt himself turning pale. "When you say you heard everything…"

"I just mean I heard the whole argument," said Lofty. "I didn't hear them actually… demonstrating anything."

"Did anyone else hear?" asked Cal.

"Dylan," said Lofty. "He was going to go in and speak to them, but he suddenly remembered something else he had to do. And... well... I'm afraid someone in the furthest cubicle away from them made a complaint, so I'd guess everyone in every other cubicle heard it too."

Cal started to laugh. "Seriously? Me and Ethan work at the same hospital and _he's_ the one who gets in trouble for inappropriate sexual behaviour?"

"I don't really think it's funny," said Lofty quietly. "Not for Ethan."

"But it's funny for me!" said Cal.

Lofty looked worried, but then an idea seemed to strike him. "Cal, what would Lily say?"

Cal smiled dreamily. "About what?"

"What would Lily say if she knew you'd been teasing Ethan about his sex life again?"

"I've _never_ teased Ethan about his sex life!" said Cal, hurt. "He's never had one before! Well, only for eight minutes."

"But you've teased him about not having one," pointed out Lofty. "Either way, you're still teasing him about sex and I'm not sure Lily would like that. She's got pretty strict ideas."

Unfortunately, that was a fair point. Lily would definitely think that discussing intimate matters in the workplace was inappropriate.

"Then I'll just have to be really… supportive," said Cal. "And that's okay. I'm sure I'll still get to see him squirming with embarrassment. It doesn't matter if I'm the one who caused it or not."

* * *

"Have you been discharged yet?" asked Ethan.

Sophie nodded. "What about you?"

"Not yet, but I imagine I will be soon," said Ethan. "But I'm a bit worried. Have you got a key to Lily's flat?"

A look of horror came over Sophie's face. "No, I haven't. I suppose I'll have to go to a hotel. But if you wanted you could, um…" She looked expectantly at Ethan.

"No: come home with me," said Ethan. "You can sleep in my bed. I'll take the sofa."

"Ethan, we're boyfriend and girlfriend. Why can't we just share a bed?"

Ethan considered. "Well, there is room for two. So we could both sleep there if you didn't mind."

"Why would I mind?" said Sophie. She lowered her voice. "I might even take my clothes off. If Lily's okay, I mean."

"I think you'd be more comfortable if you did," said Ethan. "I'll lend you something to sleep in."

Sophie sighed. "Ethan, you're doing it again."

"Doing what?" said Ethan, confused.

"Avoiding the subject."

"What subject?"

"Sex!" said Sophie.

Ethan felt himself blushing. "Well, it's maybe not the best place for sex. Discussing it, I mean. Not that I'm saying it's the best place for-"

"Ethan, you said if I took my clothes off, you'd know what I wanted next time," said Sophie. "So I told you that if Lily was okay and if it was appropriate to be celebrating, I'd take my clothes off. But you didn't understand. You never do. I've dropped so many hints."

Ethan was startled. "Have you really? I didn't notice."

"I've noticed," said Sophie. "That you didn't notice, I mean."

"Okay, so what hint are you trying to drop?" said Ethan, trying to be helpful.

"I just thought," said Sophie, "that if Lily's okay, maybe we could have sex tonight. In your bed."

Ethan blushed even more. "Oh… well… um… what about Cal?"

"I don't really think we should invite Cal to join us," said Sophie. "That wouldn't be fair on Lily and I don't really think about Cal in that way."

Ethan put his hands over his face. "I didn't mean…"

"What do you mean then?"

"That he might be in the flat," said Ethan, his face still hidden. "So he might… you know… _hear_. He's got a stopwatch and he's not afraid to use it."

Sophie sighed. "So you don't want to?"

"I, um, I'm not sure it's the best idea," said Ethan regretfully.

Sophie turned away. "Are you sure you find me attractive?"

"I think you're beautiful!" said Ethan.

"I could be wrong, but you don't seem to have any interest whatsoever in showing it."

Ethan looked at her uncertainly. "I did just tell you you were beautiful."

"And that was nice," said Sophie, with a smile. " _Really_ nice. But paintings are beautiful and I don't suppose there are any paintings that make you want to take all your clothes off and-"

"Do we have to have this conversation now?" said Ethan in a small voice.

"Ethan!" Sophie almost squeaked his name. "What did I tell you? I'm trying to have a conversation with you and you're avoiding it."

"Only because we're somewhere public," said Ethan.

"So, when we get back to your flat, we're going to discuss it?"

"Um… yes," said Ethan. "If you want to."

Sophie grabbed his face in her hands and gave him a long, passionate kiss. "I'm glad, Ethan. I'm glad. But how would you feel about actually doing it?"

"I… I… " Ethan felt her hands roaming over his back and shoulders. "I imagine I'd find it quite enjoyable. Darling, are you sure you're okay? Maybe you need a CT scan."

"A CT scan." Sophie regarded him uncertainly. "So, I tell you I want to sleep with you and you suggest I need my head examined?"

"Just as a precaution," said Ethan. "it's always important to take precautions with someone you love."

Sophie caught him in a bone-crushing hug. "I love you, Ethan Hardy. I love you."

"What did I say?"

Sophie kissed him. "I'll tell you when we get home. I wouldn't want to embarrass you, would I?"

* * *

Cal stepped through the curtain to discover Ethan and Sophie in a lip-lock.

He was actually quite relieved. It could have been a lot worse. "Hey, Ethan, how's it hanging?"

Ethan stopped kissing Sophie. "Er… what?"

"Is Lily okay?" said Sophie.

"She's doing well," said Cal. "She has a broken leg so she'll be in a wheelchair for a short while, but other than that, it's cuts and bruises. She's fine – or she will be. She's more worried about not being able to work than not being able to walk." He offered Sophie a small smile. "I think the prompt diagnosis and early treatment really helped."

"I'm sure Mrs Beauchamp helped her a lot more," said Sophie.

"A lot of people played a part," said Cal. "And I'm grateful to all of you." He was going to take Sophie's hand, but he realised they were both being used to hug Ethan. "I'm sorry for shouting at you, Sophie. I was upset and scared to death."

"You had every reason to shout," said Sophie. She glanced at Ethan and seemed to receive some comfort from his encouraging smile. "I'm sorry for messing around – and especially that Lily got hurt as a result. I will be more careful in future."

Cal gave her a hug. "I know you will. There's actually no-one I'd trust more with my girlfriend – because I know you'll try harder than anyone to keep her safe now." He kissed her on the cheek. "Lily says 'no hard feelings', by the way."

"Are you sure?" said Sophie doubtfully. "Because I really can't imagine Lily saying that."

Cal laughed. "Okay. I paraphrased. But she doesn't blame you for anything."

"So everything's okay?" said Ethan hopefully. "Apart from Lily being hurt."

"Well… not exactly," said Cal.

Ethan sighed. "What have you done, Caleb?"

"Nothing!" said Cal, hurt. "Absolutely nothing. It's more what _you've_ done."

"I don't think I've done anything, have I?" said Ethan worriedly. "I didn't even get arrested."

Cal smiled. "Ethan, if the patients wanted to hear people discussing their sex lives, I'd have hooked up the hospital radio to Sex FM."

"What?" said Ethan. "I don't have a sex life." He glanced at Sophie. "At the moment."

"Yes, that's what we heard," said Cal. "That's what the whole hospital heard."

He saw the confusion on Ethan's face turn gradually to horror. "You don't mean…"

"Sorry, bro," said Cal. "But you know what? I'm proud of you, Nibbles. I'm really proud."


	49. Chapter 49

**Bonnie Sveen Fan** , it probably wasn't the time or the place for that conversation! Sophie was too upset to think about what she was saying and Ethan was too ill to stop her. It's probably for the best though! Thank you for your review.

 **ETWentHome** , Ethan must be dying of embarrassment! I did wonder if I'd taken that scene too far, but Sophie really needed to make Ethan understand. I think he's finally got it now. Thank you for your review.

 **Tanith Panic** , I wouldn't have complained either - I'd have been much too embarrassed to mention it! I would love it if Casualty did films as well as episodes. Thank you for your review - I'm glad you found the chapter amusing.

 **EDSidekick** , thank you for your review. I love Ethan's innocence and gentlemanliness (which I really missed in Saturday's episode). I'm glad you liked the remote control. It's a bit of a cliché, but it does happen! I lost the remote control yesterday. It was in my hand.

 **sarahmichellegellarfan1** , Sophie and Ethan have had sex, but not as much as Sophie (and probably Ethan) would have liked. There are problems with venue, as well as Ethan's inability to take a hint. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Lily smiled as her two best friends and her boyfriend entered the room. Sophie was hanging back, slightly behind the others. Lily watched as Ethan kissed her on the cheek, put his arm around her, and whispered something into her ear that seemed to reassure her.

At one time, Lily would have felt jealous. But not now. It was impossible to feel jealous when Cal was gazing down at her as though he'd never seen anything more precious.

Ethan was lovely, but Cal was perfect - not that Lily had any intention of telling him so.

"Hey, beautiful," said Cal. He bent over to kiss her. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, but I missed you," admitted Lily. She felt momentarily annoyed with himself for admitting even that much, but when she saw the look in Cal's eyes, her irritation faded. He looked so happy.

"I missed you too." Cal kissed her again.

There was a cough from the corner of the room.

"Oh, right," said Cal. "I nearly forgot. I brought Sophie and Ethan."

"I noticed," said Lily. "I am not quite so much in love with you that I can see nothing but you. Thank you for coming, Sophie and Ethan. It is very good to see you."

Cal adjusted his body position, blocking her view of Sophie and Ethan. "Now can you see nothing but me?"

"Nothing but you," said Lily. "And the ceiling and the walls and the bedclothes."

"The walls and the bedclothes might be a very important part of our relationship," allowed Cal, "but probably not the ceiling."

"I am pleased to hear it," said Lily. "The ceiling does not figure in my plans for our relationship at all. Though neither do the walls."

Cal smiled. "I suppose I can do without the walls."

"Now, please move so I can see my other visitors," said Lily. She smiled. "You may hold my hand if you wish."

"Now, how can I refuse a kind offer like that?" Cal kissed her hand, then held it gently in both his own.

Sophie and Ethan came forward together. Sophie's eyes were filling with tears. "Lily, I'm so sorry."

"It's all right," said Lily. "It was an accident. It wasn't your fault. And it enabled me to see Caleb Knight crying at my bedside. There are many worse things than that."

"Yeah, Sophie: if you hadn't done that, Lily might not have let me near her bedside for months!" said Cal.

Lily smiled. "And I might not have found out that Cal loves me."

"Oh, I'm sure I'd have mentioned it sooner or later," said Cal. "I think I've probably told everyone else, so they'd have said something if I didn't."

"Dr Knight, you are a true romantic," said Lily.

"Only with you, Dr Chao," said Cal. "Only with you."

Lily heard Ethan coughing again and remembered the other two people in the room. It only took her a moment to realise that this time, Ethan was coughing because he was ill rather than because he was trying to get her attention. "Sit down, Ethan. You are too unwell to stand. Sophie, my bag is over there. Could you open it and take the key from the small compartment, please? You will need it to get into the flat tonight."

She saw a glance of slight dismay pass between Ethan and Sophie. To her great surprise, she found she knew what it meant.

"But you should not stay there alone," said Lily. "Not after such a terrible shock. And of course, Cal must not stay with you because that would not be appropriate." She smiled. "So you must do it, Ethan."

"I think 'doing it' is exactly what Ethan has in mind," said Cal, smirking.

Lily wasn't completely sure what that meant, but considering how embarrassed Ethan looked, she decided it would be better not to ask.

Sophie, meanwhile, had found the bag. She tried to open a small compartment with her right hand, but her wrist was bandaged and her fingers were clumsier than usual.

"Sweetheart, don't you think you should use your left hand?" said Ethan anxiously. "I don't want you to make your wrist worse."

"It's all _right_ ," said Sophie, with a small smile.

Cal sighed. "Oh God. Spare me the puns."

"You should join in, Cal," said Ethan. "I wouldn't want you to be _left_ out."

Cal sighed again. "I have never been so glad you only have two hands, Ethan."

Ethan smiled. "Cal, don't be so gauche."

"Are you saying there's something sinister about me?" said Sophie.

"I wouldn't dare," said Cal. "If I did, you'd only twist it."

"We can links up anything with anything," said Sophie.

"Lynx?" said Cal blankly. Then he had an idea and smiled at her. "Are you getting catty with me?"

Sophie sighed. "Links the German for left, Caleb."

"I'm afraid Cal is all fingers and thumbs when it comes to languages," said Ethan.

Sophie smiled at Cal. "He labours hard, but he's quite conservative in the end."

"I think we might both have a hand in that," said Ethan.

"I'm afraid so," said Sophie. "I bet you're glad I left you now, Cal."

Ethan hesitated. "Isn't that a bit left field?"

Cal groaned. "I hope you're not going to keep this up all night. Aren't there other things you need to keep up, Ethan?"

Ethan looked confused, then very embarrassed.

"Don't worry, Cal," said Sophie. "The _pun_ ishment will continue for a long time yet."

Lily picked up a pen and paper from her bedside table and wrote a Chinese symbol: 左 "Zuǒ," she said, tapping it. "Meaning 'left', 'unorthodox', 'queer' or 'wrong'. All of which have been applied to Cal at some time."

"Er, Lily, I think you'll find I'm not queer," said Cal. "No offence, but I wouldn't go out with you if I was."

"I am thinking of 'queer' as in 'peculiar' rather than 'gay," said Lily. "And with that definition I have _left_ you all eating my dust."

"My girlfriend is _right_ on it," said Cal. He'd been wanting to say that for a while, but no-one had said anything he agreed with until now. "Not that I'm saying I'm peculiar, but I am often unorthodox and very occasionally wrong."

Ethan hid a smile behind his hand. Lily guessed it was the 'occasionally' that he had found so amusing. To her surprise, she found herself torn between a desire to laugh with Ethan and a desire to defend Cal.

It was very interesting, being in love.

Then they heard running footsteps and Zoe burst into the room. "Sophie, Iain just gave me this bag with shoes in. It was left at the scene."

Sophie smiled at Ethan. " _Left_ at the scene!" she said.

Cal groaned. "All right, all right." Then he groaned again. "I didn't mean it like that! I really didn't!"

"I just wanted to say, Sophie," said Zoe, "that I'm very happy to take them back to the shop for you. I've already checked the bag, so I know the receipt is in there. It really won't be any trouble at all. Though if you wouldn't mind giving me the card you used to pay for them, just to make sure..."

* * *

Ethan could tell Sophie was excited. He was quite excited too, though he would have been more excited if he hadn't been nervous. He wasn't as nervous as Cal though. It was Lily's first trip outside since her accident and Cal was convinced something would go wrong.

"Cal, even if something does go wrong, we're in the emergency department of a hospital," Ethan said as kindly as he could. "You and I are both qualified doctors; Sophie has an excellent track record of saving lives in difficult circumstances; Mrs Beauchamp has promised not to be far away. I'm sure Lily will be fine."

Cal nodded and smiled and seemed to be trying to pretend he wasn't terrified. Ethan squeezed his shoulder gently, then stood back as Cal opened Lily's door.

"There you are!" Lily was sitting in her wheelchair. "You are three minutes late, Cal."

"I was five minutes late last time I came to see you," Cal reminded her.

Lily smiled. "As I was about to say, it is an improvement."

Cal laughed in relief and bent down to kiss her. "I've missed you, darling. So much."

"I've missed you too," said Lily softly. "Though you have had Ethan to keep you company."

"Not exactly," said Cal.

"I've been off work this week," explained Ethan. "I've been with Sophie. I mean I've been doing stuff with Sophie. I mean…"

"I think he means exactly what he says he means," said Cal, amused.

Ethan tried not to blush, but he couldn't help it. "Anyway, we only got back from our walking holiday last night," he said. "We were camping. That's why I haven't visited you." He looked at Cal. "I did ask Cal to tell you."

Cal slapped a hand to his forehead. "I knew I'd forgotten something!"

"I am sure it is one of many things," said Lily. She sounded almost as though this was in some way reassuring.

"Sorry, Lily," said Cal. "Seeing you must have driven it straight from my mind. But anyway, Ethan spent his week off with Sophie. And now Sophie is spending the weekend with Ethan."

"I'm glad you're not alone in the flat," said Lily.

Ethan was blushing again. It didn't really help when Sophie gave him a lingering kiss.

"I am alone. They're staying in a hotel!" said Cal. "I have no idea why." He smiled teasingly at Ethan. "I mean, what could they possibly be doing they couldn't do in the flat?"

"Watching those foreign films you hate," said Ethan.

"Ethan's been helping me study," said Sophie, at the same time.

"Both, actually," they said together.

"Ethan's very good at helping me study," said Sophie. "He knows so much about biology. We've done a bit of chemistry too. There have even been a few explosions, haven't there, Ethan?"

Ethan couldn't look at any of them now. "No comment?" he said.

"So, how many lots of eight minutes fit into a twenty-four hour day?" said Cal.

"One hundred and eighty," said Lily instantly.

"Okay. Now I'm jealous," said Cal. He looked at Lily, smiling. "Or maybe I'm not."


	50. Chapter 50

_So this is the last chapter!_ _Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, favourites, pms, ideas and support. I hope you've enjoyed the story._

 **Bonnie Sveen Fan** , thank you for your review. I'm glad you think Lily and Cal are cute. It's actually really surprised me how much I've enjoyed writing them as a couple.

 **Tanith Panic** , I'm glad you enjoyed the puns. There might be one or two more in this chapter... Lily is quite a useful character when it comes to words not used in their correct context! Thank you for your review.

 **EDSidekick** , it's funny that 'left' has negative connotations in so many languages! Lily might consider she's had a lucky escape (though I hope not) but I think over the last couple of months, she's started valuing Ethan for who he is rather than what he is. So perhaps her views on life and marriage will change too. Thank you for your review.

* * *

Cal took Lily's hand in his. Ethan, hiding his red face as much as possible, went to take the handles of the wheelchair. Cal had wanted to push the wheelchair at first, but then he'd decided that holding Lily's hand would be more fun. Sophie put one of her hands on top of Ethan's and the little procession set off.

They took the lift down to the bottom floor. The doors slid open to reveal most of the ED: Zoe (whose shoes were identical to the ones Sophie was wearing), Robyn, Max, Lofty, Dylan, Louise, Jacob, Noel, Big Mac, Rita, Iain, Dixie, Charlie. Even Connie was there. Connie was also wearing a pair of shoes that were identical to a pair of Sophie's, though she would never admit it was anything other than a coincidence.

Ethan saw Cal stroking Lily's hand as their friends gave her a round of applause. She looked shocked and embarrassed, but then she looked up at Cal and whatever she saw reassured her. It wasn't a feeling Ethan usually experienced when looking at his brother, but Cal's relationship with Lily was very different from his relationship with Ethan.

Lily smiled and gave a shy wave. The crowd parted and applauded as Ethan and Sophie wheeled Lily through the ED, Cal still holding her hand and looking more than a little bit emotional. He was so happy for Lily and so proud of her. They went past the waiting patients, who gave them all a good stare, and out to the front of the ED.

"It might be best if you sit at right angles to the bench, Lily," said Ethan. "Then Cal can sit next to you with his back against the side of the bench."

" _Right_ angles?" said Sophie. "That's very _acute_ of you, Ethan."

"Never let it be said that I'm _obtuse_ ," said Ethan.

"I can also vouch for the fact he's _straight_ ," said Sophie.

Cal groaned.

"Sorry, Cal. It's just a _reflex_ ," said Sophie.

"It's something _internal_ ," said Ethan. He blushed. "Um, in our brains, I mean."

"Something _complementary_ ," said Lily. "And I am pleased to be _adjacent_ to Cal."

"You're just _full_ of yourselves," muttered Cal. "Sophie and Ethan, I mean. Not Lily."

"Cal, you're so _linear_ ," said Ethan.

"But _interactive_ ," said Sophie.

Lily looked at Cal, half-lying on the bench. "Though not _vertical_."

"Maybe our conversation is just too _remote_ for Cal," said Ethan.

"It's possible that is the _central_ problem," said Sophie.

"At least if you look at it from an _external_ viewpoint," said Lily. Her eyes were shining with excitement, and Ethan smiled at his brother's girlfriend with genuine affection. Lily loved puns because they tested her mental prowess.

To Ethan and Sophie, however, the puns were mostly for their own amusement - except for last night, when they'd been talking about fruit, and things had got quite... juicy. It really had been a grape night, probably the best date of Ethan's life so far. As the old saying went, it took two to mango and it truly had been a night of passion fruit. Sophie had screamed so loudly at one point, Ethan worried his damson was in distress, but she'd insisted everything was peachy; figging marvellous, in fact. She really was the apple of Ethan's eye; his little star fruit and he often wondered what she was doing with an ugli fruit like him. The fact that Ethan was the elderberry by six years was never a problem, though you'd be surprised to learn that Ethan had popped his cherry more than ten years ago. He and Sophie really did make the perfect pear and Ethan wanted nothing more for them to get married and start raisin kids together. But Ethan knew that continuing his currant line of thought would be a bit of a banana skin and absolutely plum crazy so he really needed to draw the lime.

But Cal wasn't a fan of puns at all. They really made him quince with pain and had been known to make him artichoke on his dinner (though, as Ethan had pointed out to Sophie, an artichoke was classed as a vegetable, not a fruit, though technically it was actually a flower).

"Cal, don't you think it's good to look at things from different angles?" said Ethan.

Cal gave a reluctant laugh. "Lily, you're an inverted angle. With the L and the E inverted, I mean."

"Cal, are you angling for compliments?" said Sophie.

"It wouldn't be a first," said Ethan.

Cal pointed at him. "You didn't make an angle joke. So you get a forfeit."

"Yes," said Ethan. "I do. And I have rather a nice one planned that has the potential to lead to complete and total embarrassment." He got off the bench, took a box from his pocket and knelt down in front of Sophie. He opened the box, which contained his mother's engagement ring. "Sophie, I love you with all my heart and the last few days have taught me there's nothing we can't do together. And I just want to keep doing it every day for the rest of our lives."

Cal burst out laughing. "180 times a day!"

Lily gave him a cold glare and he was instantly silent.

Ethan glared at Cal too. He'd forgotten his speech now. How typical of Cal to laugh when he was being serious. "When you want me, I will always protect you. When you need me, I'll always come. When you don't need me, I'll come anyway because I don't think I could stop myself. I'll always love you, no matter what, and if things get on top of me, I'll never complain: I'll just smile and get on with it."

That wasn't quite the speech he'd planned, but Ethan hoped he'd got the basic points across – and he hoped Sophie had heard him over Cal's coughing fit.

"Mrs Beauchamp told me once that this hospital needs more Dr Hardys," said Ethan. "I was a bit surprised and I wasn't sure I agreed, but now I do. I would like nothing more than for you to become _my_ Dr Hardy. It might be slightly confusing, but I can only consider it a compliment if anyone confuses me with someone as beautiful and intelligent as you. Sophie, would you consider doing me the very great honour of becoming my wife?"

"Consider it?" said Sophie. "No!"

"Oh! I… I see," said Ethan, his voice shaking. "Of course. I understand." He started to get up, but Sophie's hand on his arm stopped him.

"I don't need to _consider_ it, Ethan. Of course I'll marry you."

"Um… what?" said Ethan.

"I want to marry you," said Sophie.

Ethan began to breathe rather quickly. "Really?"

"If I need to say it three times, yes!"

Ethan's eyes went all blurry. "I'm so happy!"

"The ring, Ethan," Cal reminded him.

"The ring. Of course. Yes." Ethan took it out of the box. "With this ring, I thee… no, wait: that's for the wedding, isn't it?"

"And that's the wrong finger," said Sophie softly. "But I don't think I care. I love you, Ethan. "

"Oh. Um. sorry. Could you hold my glasses, please?" Ethan handed them to Sophie so he could wipe his eyes. "Sorry. It is quite emotional meeting someone who actually wants to marry me. It's never happened before." He put his glasses back on. "Okay. I'm ready now. And I'm fairly sure this is the right finger."

"Maybe Ethan's 'fingering technique' could use some work," said Cal.

It sounded like Lily might have smacked his hand.

Ethan managed to put the ring on the correct finger. "So… um… what do we do next?"

"First you kiss me," said Sophie. "Then you tell me you love me again. Then we forget about it for a while and celebrate Lily's recovery."

"Whatever you say, darling," said Ethan, and obeyed the first two instructions to the letter.

"I think Ethan's going to be a natural at this husband business," said Cal.

Lily nodded. "I believe it sometimes runs in families."

"Whatever you say, darling," said Cal lovingly.


End file.
